Cover Mireia Llusia-Lindh, founder of DeMellier, launched the brand in 2017 with a focus on timeless design, ethical craftsmanship and purpose-led luxury
Mireia Llusia-Lindh, founder of DeMellier, launched the brand in 2017 with a focus on timeless design, ethical craftsmanship and purpose-led luxury
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Mireia Llusia-Lindh, founder of DeMellier, set out to bridge the gap between ultra-luxury and fast fashion. Nearly a decade on, the brand enters its next chapter with its first standalone flagship store and an eye on global expansion
Regularly spotted on celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon and Emily Ratajkowski, the DeMellier New York bag commands instant recognition with its structured trapezoidal shape defined by origami-inspired triangular folds at either side, its body accented by a belted detail with gold-plated hardware. Subtly luxurious, it shuns flashy logos and lets its minimal and precise design speak—winning over royalty, fashion editors and A-listers worldwide.
That lasting appeal is the heart of DeMellier. When Mireia Llusia-Lindh launched the brand in 2017, she spotted an opportunity. “I felt there was a clear gap in the market between ultra-luxury and more accessible brands,” she says. “I saw too many compromises being made across the industry.” What she set out to build was more exacting: “Modern yet timeless handbags of the highest quality, ethically and sustainably made, and priced with integrity. For me, this is what modern luxury should be.”
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Above The Midi New York
The Midi New York
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DeMellier, as it exists today, was not how the brand began. Llusia-Lindh first launched her business in 2010 under the name Milli Millu, before rebranding to DeMellier in 2017. The change was meant to align the brand more closely with its identity, drawing on her Spanish heritage and family name. “De” comes from her grandmother’s Spanish lineage, tracing back over 500 years to knights, lords and marquesses in southern Spain, while “Mellier” is derived from her own French heritage.
Her path to starting DeMellier was a conventional one, at least on paper. Llusia-Lindh studied economics and dove into a management consulting career before starting her own business. What took longer was defining what that business should stand for. “As I grew up and started working, I became very aware of how fortunate I was to have had access to education and to grow up in a country that was not at war,” she says. “That awareness was crystallised during my time at Harvard Business School.” She recalls hearing Warren Buffett speak about the “ovarian lottery”—the idea that much of life is influenced by the circumstances one is born into, and that such luck demands responsibility.
Above The Siena Hobo
The Siena Hobo
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This conviction shaped DeMellier from day one: through its A Bag, A Life initiative—a collaboration with international children’s charity SOS Children’s Villages and local vaccine providers—every purchase contributes to funding vaccines and medical treatments aimed at saving the life of a child in need. “To see A Bag, A Life grow, and to know that we’ve been able to fund over 2,000,000 vaccines and medical treatments for children in need, has been incredibly meaningful,” shares Llusia-Lindh.
That same ethos carries through to how the bags are made. DeMellier works with family-run factories in Europe, with an emphasis on fair wages and safe working conditions, and partners with suppliers that meet its standards. “I was very clear from the start that we would not compromise on how our products are made,” Llusia-Lindh expounds.
Each bag is assembled by hand, involving multiple artisans and components, with a level of detail that reflects that slower process and carries through to the materials.
The brand uses full-grain bovine leathers—most of which are by-products of the food industry—sourced from tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group, and does not work with exotic skins. Similar considerations extend to all materials used, from organic canvas to plastic-free raffia and recycled reinforcements. The focus is on durable, traceable materials—a philosophy unchanged since its inception.
Above The Vancouver clutch
The Vancouver clutch
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“One of the first bags I designed was the Vancouver,” Llusia-Lindh recalls. “I remember the importance we placed on detail and craftsmanship, and how much we thought about how women would use it and how it would make them feel.” With its structured, boxy design softened by rounded edges and anchored by the brand’s now-signature double-bar lock, the Vancouver struck a balance between form and function, setting the blueprint for DeMellier designs early on.
A similar restraint is reflected in the spring-summer 2026 collection. Llusia-Lindh draws on architectural references—clean lines, controlled proportions and a subtle approach to construction—resulting in pieces that feel considered. “Architecture has always been a strong source of inspiration for me, particularly the balance between form and function, and the discipline behind every line and proportion. For this collection, I was drawn to a quieter, more minimal expression of that.”
Above The Florence
The Florence
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The palette follows suit, staying within a narrow range of neutrals and deeper tones, with small shifts in texture doing most of the work. The Florence, for instance, is composed of individually handwoven leather pieces, stitched together in a precise pattern. Meanwhile, the Siena Bucket features a relaxed draped silhouette with an exaggerated curved topline and a tapered shoulder-length strap.
While design and values power DeMellier’s appeal, Llusia-Lindh credits the all-female team behind them. “We understand women and what they want as we have an all-female design team and multiple women involved in the decision-making process ... Customers can tell when those voices are present.”
Now, Llusia-Lindh is taking that vision further. Later this year, DeMellier will debut its first standalone flagship store, located in London. The brand also has plans to deepen its presence in Asia. “My vision,” she shares, “is to continue building DeMellier globally—particularly in Asia, as we believe the brand has a lot of potential there—while staying very true to our values and who we are. Hopefully, over the next decade, you’ll see DeMellier stores opening across multiple cities around the world [as we continue] to spread our values of sustainability, empowering women and helping those who need it most.”
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