Lydia Millen has just launched a collection with Fairfax and Favor (Image: Fairfax and Favor)
Lydia Millen has long been celebrated for the way she blends the polish of modern glamour with the romance of countryside tradition. Her collaboration with Fairfax & Favor, the Town & Country Collection, distils that vision into handbag form.
Each design feels quietly assured: elegant yet functional, modern yet steeped in heritage, created with the intention of becoming not just accessories, but future heirlooms. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Express, she revealed how the inspiration came from her own wardrobe staples and a desire to design pieces that carry meaning as well as style.
“With the tones we have used, they naturally integrate into those more earthier, elegant tones that you kind of see in my countryside wardrobe. That is really another one of the focuses that I wanted – a really pared-back classic tone. We are not looking to create anything too out there, they really are supposed to be heirlooms,” she explained.
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Shop Lydia’s Fairfax and Favor Collection:
It’s an ethos perfectly in tune with today’s fashion mood. As the industry moves away from disposable trends, Millen’s focus on quality aligns with the appetite for investment dressing.
In her hands, heritage becomes less about nostalgia and more about grounding modern life in pieces designed to endure.
Her affinity with Fairfax & Favor, she admits, runs deep. Like so many loyal customers, it all began with one iconic purchase. “I am wondering if it is the same for everyone – their first piece is always a pair of Regina boots,” she quipped.
Before adding: “For me the Regina boot was a huge inspiration for the bag collection.
Carole Middleton looked stunning in a Me Em design at Royal Ascot (Image: Fairfax and Favor)
Now a cornerstone of Fairfax & Favor, the Regina boots epitomise British equestrian chic. Their influence has stretched far beyond the countryside, even earning a place in royal wardrobes – Zara Tindall is often spotted in the timeless style.
Millen is equally devoted. “In all honesty, what they created there is incredibly timeless… they just celebrated Regina’s 10th birthday.”
“I think that is where the love affair started – designing a boot like that, that is both elegant, durable, and comfortable. Especially as we get older, we want style but we do not want to compromise on comfort, and I think life is too short to be uncomfortable,” Lydia reflected.
That philosophy became the blueprint for her collection.
Sarah Ferguson’s shoes read the motto: (Image: Fairfax and Favor)
Just as the Regina boots marry elegance with practicality, her handbags are designed to strike the same balance – refined, effortless to carry, and meticulously considered down to the last detail.
For Millen, true luxury lies in accessories that elevate an outfit yet feel natural in everyday life, echoing why the boots became such a constant in her own wardrobe.
Rooted in lessons from the countryside, Millen has learned to favour resilience over novelty.
“Fairfax & Favor take a really lovely approach to what they create – they don’t jump on things, they quietly observe. I look at the tones, I look at the endurance of it, coming back every single year. I take those influences from fashion and the countryside, especially in England, and apply it into fashion,” she shared.
Carole Middleton and Princess Beatrice rocked the colour of the season at Royal Ascot (Image: Fairfax and Favor)
“I think that is the best lesson we can take – that we often see the same things come back time and time again. That has been my biggest lesson, staying away from micro trends and things like that,” Millen admitted.
The result is handbags with permanence at their core – silhouettes and tones that nod to classic design while remaining relevant for decades.
“We looked at styles that have endured decades and decades when it comes to handbag silhouettes, styles and tones, and encapsulated them into the bag,” she shared.
Together, Lydia Millen and Fairfax & Favor have created something rare: a collection that celebrates heritage while embracing the quiet confidence of timeless design. Arriving at the height of fashion’s obsession with “quiet luxury,” the handbags rely not on logos or loud statements, but on craftsmanship, wearability and restraint.
In truth, Millen was ahead of the curve. Long before it became a buzzword, she championed clothes and accessories that live with us rather than pass us by.
The Town & Country Collection proves that an accessory can be both practical and poetic, rooted in tradition yet resonating in the present – it’s more than a collaboration, it’s a manifesto for modern British style.
