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Founder Story

Osprey London was born out of a shared passion for design, craftsmanship, and quality, brought to life by the visionary duo Graeme and Alex Ellisdon. Founded in 1980 by Graeme Ellisdon, Osprey London emerged from his deep love for leather and his unwavering commitment to creating products that exude timeless elegance and superior craftsmanship.

Crafting a Legacy: Meet the Founders

In 1980, two school friends dreamt of starting a company together. Graeme Ellisdon and Ash Patel started the OSPREY belt company Ltd with £500 and based themselves in a small room above a brick outbuilding in Kimpton, Hertfordshire. They taught themselves how to make at first, soft leather belts in glorious rainbow colours and proceeded to grow and develop their leather working skills over the next 15 successful years until they decided to part company, separate, and stop manufacturing themself. Ash remained in the UK and ultimately chose not to continue, while Graeme moved to Italy and shifted attention to learning the bag business by working closely with leather tanners and a talented artisanal family based in Florence, Tuscany.

It's not just the bag you choose that says something about you but the way you wear it and mix it with other pieces that is the mark of true style.

Our Co-Founder: Alex Ellisdon

12 years after Osprey London’s inception Alex had a belated introduction to Graeme from a mutual friend who had promised to introduce her when she was an aspiring designer in her teens. A not insignificant alignment of the stars after formative years spent designing and making clothes, collecting leather bags and shoes, and a rather speedy first joint creation, son Jack arrived quickly on the scene.  Alex’s background working with designer brands from an operational level and also brand retail management made them more than a husband and wife team.

If you believe, as I do, that style is eternal, then you'll go your own way in life, be original, have fun and not follow others. 
I think these are all qualities that people who wear Osprey London would recognise in themselves.

Timeless Craftsmanship, Today and Tomorrow

Today, Osprey London remains an independent, family-owned company, with its products crafted by skilled artisans around the world, each piece undergoing rigorous quality checks to ensure it meets the founders’ exacting standards. From the brand’s headquarters at The Hoo, a beautifully restored country estate in Hertfordshire, Graeme and Alex continue to explore new products and possibilities— always with a focus on quality, craftsmanship, and that playful British spirit that lies at the heart of every collection.