Hampstead Hive Member Spotlight - Alev Ozturk

Tell us about your business, what services do you offer?

I’m the founder and designer of SJW Bags, a St John’s Wood-based luxury handbag label offering a colourful range of unique, sustainable designs made using environmentally-friendly, zero-waste fabrics by skilled independent artisans. My brand is all about feel-good fashion that supports women - from uplifting the stylish and confident women in my community who wear my vibrant bags, to the talented artisans in Istanbul who make them and the network of independent brand owners I’ve met promoting my brand at various pop-up sales events.

What is your greatest business achievement so far?

I would have to say hosting 3 Christmas pop-up events simultaneously in 2019, in the prestigious shopping areas of Bond Street, Marylebone, and Chelsea. It made me realise how far I’d come to be able to command interest in such a competitive retail environment, which gave me the confidence to open my own store. Sadly, the pandemic meant that plan changed, but I was really proud of how resilient the brand managed to be in such challenging circumstances. I focused on expanding my online presence instead - showcasing my designs on Wolf & Badger - a global online marketplace for independent brands - as well as through my own website sjwbagslondon.co.uk, which helped me reach new clients as far away as Brisbane and Pennsylvania.

What do you want to achieve next?

As a sustainable brand that is inspired by a sense of community, I want my designs to create a positive impact, so I’d like to focus more of my time on charitable projects and brand collaborations. I was happy to be able to donate proceeds from face-masks made during the pandemic to local charity St John’s Hospice, and have set myself a target to increase donations this year through my bag sales. I’m also making plans to host an exclusive 2-day event this September - either in Hampstead or St John’s Wood* - to launch my Trinity bags. They are a limited collection of pouch bags specially created in collaboration with students from the Trinity Yard School in Ghana as part of their vocational training. 25% from each sale will be donated to support their educational scheme - you can read more about them here and shop the collection online here.

*I’ll be posting more details on my Instagram soon

What one piece of advice would you like to offer someone thinking of entering into your field?

I would say do your research and plan your moves carefully. It’s important to research your target market and understand customer behaviour - how and where we all shop changed during the pandemic, and what we shopped for changed too. Staying flexible and being able to adapt to changing market demands is important, and creating strong relationships with your supply chain is essential, to ensure you can deliver your products on time and in good quality. For instance, during the first lockdown I couldn’t visit my usual suppliers in Turkey, so I found local producers to make face masks, then as production abroad started up again I swapped large totes and travel bags for small hands-free designs people could take on their work-from-home daily walks.

What is your favourite aspect about working in the local area?

I love working in the local area! The saying goes that it takes a village, and that’s very true in my case. The people here are so kind and supportive - from the other mums at The American School London (ASL) where my kids studied, to my fellow Women Running The World (WRW) runners, to the people I’ve met selling my bags at local events - everyone has been so positive and encouraging. Not to mention it’s always great to spot someone wearing one of my designs around the neighbourhood- I love seeing how differently everyone styles things!

What encouraged you to join Hampstead Hive and what has your experience been like so far within the Hive?

I loved the community feel that Hampstead Hive has. As a one-woman brand it’s been great to have somewhere I can share experiences and bounce ideas around with other small business owners from my area.

Where can we go to find out more about your business/access your services?

You can sign up to my monthly newsletter for updates about all my latest styles and where I’ll be popping up next, and follow me on Instagram, where you can DM me with any queries. You can also contact me by email info@sjwbagslondon.co.uk, or, if you’re in the area, book a personal shopping appointment at my home showroom to try all of my designs in person. If you’re not nearby, or things are a bit hectic, my website https://sjwbagslondon.co.uk/ has the full collection of SJW Bags and accessories, with more information about how the brand started, plus a sneak-peek into how everything gets made.