Who We Are

The story of Accessorize is dated back to 1983, ten years after the opening of Monsoon’s first boutique in London’s Beauchamp Place. Founder, Peter Simon’s return from a life-changing road trip around Asia made led him to share his vivid experience with the world. With an aim to enrich the lives of customers by offering bespoke collections along with an unrivalled shopping experience, Accessorize launched its first store in the Piazza, London’s Covent Garden.

Accessorize is a one-stop destination for trendy bags, jewellery, shoes and other accessories to complete every ensemble with panache. The contemporary collections of Bags, Purses & Wallets include Backpacks, Clutch Bags, Cross Body Bags, Day Bags, Leather Bags, Make up & Wash Bags, Shopper & Tote Bags, Travel Bags and Work Bags to suit every occasion. Adorn your #OOTD with an opulent selection of Anklets, Bracelets, Earrings, Necklaces and classy Watches. Our comfy yet stylish footwear comprising of Flats, Flip Flops, Sandals and Slippers exalts the attire. No more, messy hair days! Style your hair like a pro with our hair accessories and elevate your style quotient with Travel Accessories, Umbrellas, Stationery, Compact Mirrors and stunning Keyrings. Our special edit of Hats, Lingerie, Scarves, Gloves, sock and tights is perfect for the much vaunted royal look. While choosing a gift pick something gorgeous for yourself too, don’t worry we won’t tell anyone!

While we create opportunities and sustain livelihoods, we also strive to share our success with the people around the world who make it happen. We believe in the positive, empowering, life-changing power of trade rather than aid. And we want to do right by the people who make our beautiful things. As a founding member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), we’ve been always been driving sustainable improvements in working conditions wherever we do business. Every year, the Monsoon Accessorize Trust (founded in 1994) supports life-changing projects for income-generation, healthcare and education of over 15,000 women and children throughout Asia.

Artisan

Hand-craft for those looking for something extra-ordinary. For aiding the preservation of the ancient hand-craft techniques, we have created the exquisite ARTISAN collection that showcases intricate work by skilled craftsmen across Asia.

Ethical Trading

While don’t operate our own factories or directly employ the craftsmen, we do ensure that our suppliers commit to the Monsoon Accessorize Code Of Conduct. Based on ETI standards, we aim to protect the workers by setting out minimum standards for working conditions, pay and employment rights.

To us, ethical trading is foundation of long-standing, sustainable relationships. Most of our suppliers have been associated with us for over 20 years and together we ensure that we drive meaningful and enduring improvements in working conditions with a collaborative effort to make things right. We monitor progress regularly, and if a supplier doesn’t comply within the agreed time frame, we move our business elsewhere.

Our efforts are not limited to the factories, they extend to the artisans and workers who make some of our most exquisite designs. We strive towards ensuring that our suppliers pay these workers a fair price for each piece while our ethical compliance team monitors this regularly.

While there are challenges in working with these small communities, we do not give up; it’s an important part of who we are and what we do. We take pride in the fact that we help generate incomes, improve livelihoods and preserve the ancient hand-craft techniques.

Charity

Since 1994, our charitable trust has been helping underprivileged children and women in Asia. Every year over 10,000 people benefit from our education, healthcare and income-generation projects. Our objective is to drive meaningful and sustainable change by reaching out to the people who need our help the most.

Our current initiatives include a healthcare program in the villages of Rajasthan, a hostel in Delhi for homeless children, aiding the rebuilding of the silk cultivation industry in Afghanistan, employment for women artisans in Kabul and support for disabled and orphaned Sri Lankan children.

We believe in the impact and enduring benefits of trade over aid.

Our community program specifically supports the following -

SEWA Embroidery Centre – This is a women’s co-operative that provides over 500 disadvantaged embroidery workers in Delhi the access to education, training, micro finance and fair wages. Now Sewa is seamlessly integrated into our supply chain and creates at least five different styles every season within our Artisan range.

Stree Shakti – This women’s quilting co-operative in the foothills of the Himalayas is funded for education, transport and provided support for product development. Barabanki Weavers Project – We fund education, training and healthcare for the hand-loom weavers in the outskirts of Lucknow, U.P.

ASK Sarai Tareen – This project aims to eliminate child labour and encourage education.

Afghan Silk Project – A project with Christian Aid to help revive the silk industry in Herat, Afghanistan.

Turquoise Mountain Foundation – A project in Kabul in collaboration with jewellery designer Pippa Small, to produce jewellery with women artisans.

ASHIANA – This non-profit organization for HIV affected women in Delhi slums helps create livelihoods through jewellery-making.

SADHNA –This initiative in Udaipur, Rajasthan provides income opportunities for artisans specialising in intricate embroidery.

We are sincerely grateful for the generous support extended by our customers, suppliers and other businesses that we work with.

Sustainability

We care for the environment and strive towards reducing the environmental impact of all that we do.

We are committed to following the best practices in recycling and minimising waste and have excluded any unnecessary packaging from our products.

We try and use only FSC-certified paper and biodegradable plastic.

A 3-year initiative with Oxfam aids Indian cotton farmers convert to organic farming

A scheme to help Indian fashion students develop and use sustainable fabrics.

Our Green Action Programme, augmented by the introduction of energy-efficient fittings throughout our stores, has already achieved significant reductions in our total energy consumption.

We have pledged to minimise our use of air freight.

Moving forward we have decided to end the use of angora in all future production.

We operate a strict policy of zero-tolerance towards abuse and maltreatment of animals.

We don’t use real fur. In fact, the only animal-derived materials we use (eg leather, feathers, down) are by-products of the food industry.

We take special care to ensure any luxury yarns (such as alpaca, mohair, cashmere and merino) are sourced only from producers who uphold high standards in animal husbandry.

No animal testing is permitted in the development or manufacture of our cosmetics or fragrances.