Kurtis Paul is a fledgling accessories brand created by brothers from Compstall. It’s going places, says Janet Reeder
There can’t be many young brands who pledge to plough all their profits into a charity but that is exactly what Kurtis Paul is doing.
The Compstall-based luxury accessories label for men set up by brothers Lloyd and Kurtis Rayner, will actually be giving the cash from their creations to help the poor in Africa, up until December.
Says Lloyd: ‘I went to Kenya and Tanzania a couple of years ago and while I was in Nairobi I went to the Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa. I saw some of the most upsetting things I have ever seen.
‘So while we were hoping to give up our day jobs and work full-time on the business we are putting those plans on hold, purely so we can do our bit and give something back. We are also trying to get people to give as much as they can and have visions of, perhaps, creating some kind of charity initiative in the future.’
The pair who were brought up in Mellor, near Marple, had always dreamed of creating their own label and by good honest hard work managed to get the money together to launch a range of leather bags aimed at a more luxury end of the market.
Added to these are a laptop case, belts and pencil cases, pieces that Lloyd says complement the main bag ranges.
‘It was about a year and a half ago. I was working for British Gas but I have always been the sort of person who loves to make things and Kurtis is the trendy one, the one who’s into fashion, so we both have massively different skills sets,’ explains Lloyd.
‘But this why it worked. It is also an area we liked and had a lot of interest in and we are in control of every aspect and detail of the things we produce.
‘I remember the first time we thought about doing this we just decided we wanted to get into bags and it seemed logical to produce a range of accessories to compliment those.’
Detail is integral to the brand, so bags are made from the finest leather which improves with wear. The pencil case it one stylish sleek sheet of folded leather and is simple minimalist match for the chic laptop cover.
Their bags range from backpacks to weekend bags, totes to a duffle bag and are aimed at what the brothers think of as the ‘modern gentleman’.
Indeed, their website debates ideas and the behaviour of this breed of male- exactly the sort of man who would want his laptop cover to match his tote bag, of course.
‘The fashion industry has sky-rocketed and constantly changing it can be hard to stay up to date with the latest innovations and styles,’ they say.
‘ The modern gentleman doesn’t follow these trends. He embraces himself and his responsibility to stand firm when the rat race begins. He sticks to his own path, creating his own unique style, standing confident in his choice of attire.’
Bags priced from £215-£280
For further details visit www.kurtispaul.com
