Julie Deane

Julie Deane graduated from Gonville and Quays College Cambridge in 1987 having gained an Honours undergraduate and later a Masters in Natural Sciences.

Having graduated she joined Deloitte, Haskins and Sells and qualified as a Chartered Accountant, with experience in the UK and later in the US. After working as a Chartered Accountant Julie went on to become a Fellow of Gonville and Quays College and following that became the first female Registry in the 650year history of the college.

Julie founded The Cambridge Satchel Company with her mother Freda Thomas four years ago at her kitchen table just outside Cambridge.

Having invested just £600 to get the idea off the ground The Cambridge Satchel Company is now a pioneering enterprise employing more than 50 people, experiencing phenomenally fast growth around the world.

Ever since starting the company 4 years ago, Julie recognized the quintessential ‘Britishness’ of the design and so has kept all manufacturing based in the UK. 

Julie is committed to preserving British manufacturing and is proud be employing many locally skilled craftsmen in her own Leicester based workshop whilst also supporting independent UK craftsmen who help meet the ever growing demand.

Whilst the traditional vintage satchel remains the firm favourite amongst customers, Julie has kept the design fresh by adding many modern twists to the original such as the fluorescent colours and contemporary leather finishes.

Collaborations with Comme des Garcons, Basso and Brooke and more recently Christopher Shannon, have seen the Cambridge Satchel Company grace the catwalk in London, Paris and Russia, further securing its role and international acclaim as the ‘Brit It bag’.

The brand is carried in the finest stores worldwide including Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Lane Crawford, Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue.