Established originally by Alison Lloyd and Jonathan Platt in 1980, designing accessories and later ready-to-wear, the company was restructured and rebranded in 1999 by Lloyd alone. The name Ally Capellino fits the updated and exclusive focus on bags and accessories perfectly, roughly translating to ‘little hat’ in Italian.
Catering to both women and men, both bags and accessories focus on practicality and lasting beauty. Centring design around functionality and timeless style creates pieces with longevity built-in. Aimed at all generations, the bags can be used and appreciated for many, many years. Combined with the use of durable and high quality materials and construction, sustainability is a natural outcome of the brand and its principles. The utilitarian nature of Ally Capellino’s products does not take away from their simplistic beauty. While the pieces are clearly style-conscious, Lloyd states that her bags are ‘not arm candy’, though her modern approach to design is understated and elegant.
Collaborations with Tate since 2006 have produced a range of bags and accessories, drawing on inspiration from colours and textures found in Tate’s collections. The functionality of these bags is true to the Ally Capellino brand, and reflected in the thoughtful and considered design and durable fabrics seen throughout.
Ally Capellino collaborated with Apple in 2008, creating laptop bags sold exclusively in Apple stores. The outcome was again true to the Ally Capellino brand, using high quality materials to perform the role of protecting the macAir exceptionally, while retaining a fashionable finish.
Ally Capellino can be found in their two boutiques in London, as well as their own website and the online retailer Farfetch.