Despite our origins being two centuries apart, Cherchbi and John Smedley are united in our passion for Britain’s manufacturing heritage. In 2012 we blended our attributes, unique skills and mutual respect into a collaborative collection.

We were granted permission to delve into the John Smedley archive, exploring an era when the company’s fine knitwear was marked with ink stamps rather than sewn-in labels. Of the hundreds of stamp designs the ‘J. Smedley Lea Derbyshire’ design was selected. This carved wooden example from the mid 19th century is one of the earliest in the archive, even predating the first John Smedley patents.

The collaborative collection features three Cherchbi bags; the Blake Overnight Bag, Barrett Flap Brief and iPad Sleeve, each produced in a strictly limited run of 10 pieces. All were externally embossed with both brand names with the 'J. Smedley Lea Derbyshire' hand-stamped in blue ink inside each bag, echoing the garment labelling procedure employed by John Smedley a century ago. An edition number, from 1/10 to 10/10, was hand-embossed into the leather trim of each bag.