This is Michelle’s first collection from her own label Chelle by Michelle Hennessy. She is looking to establish her own label designing and making evening handbags before moving onto a womenswear collection. Her handbags are one of a kind, handmade with beading, embroidery and crochet.

Her handbag’s have been in a recent fashion show at china whites for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and are in the forthcoming fashion show at the London Palladium.

Michelle Hennessy is a recent graduate of The London College of Fashion and has just taken part in the Share Talent Project, designing a collection of accessories with traditional crafters in South Africa. Her work incorporates embroidery, screen-printing and crocheting, which she applies to womenswear and accessories of her own design.

On her degree, Michelle took up design projects with Next Girlswear, Topshop supplier Rowan Yarns and specialist designer Aluma. These projects gave her design experience of both small and large-scale operations and allowed her to explore the opportunities made possible by both.

Ideally Michelle would like to work with the crafters of Johannesburg again as this combines her interest in design with a positive mission that improves peoples’ lives.

(Written / Photography by James Newton)