Photographer: Shana Jade Trajanoska
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“I’ve always been particular about my brows—even on shoots with incredible make-up artists, I’d insist on doing my own.”
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On Thoughtful Design, Integrity, and Honouring the Small Wins
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“Of course, I’m very grateful for the successes we have achieved, and yes, we can celebrate these milestones. But I’m always cautious – I never believe I have ‘arrived’. To me, one day you’re in and the next you could be out. You can’t rest on your laurels.”
“I say ‘work in progress’ a lot or ‘this too shall pass’. Also: ‘don’t forget to have fun’.”
What is your mantra?
“In the beginning, the biggest challenge was
doing everything with a small team, but I truly believe it’s important to be hands-on to understand what your business really needs”
“When we got our first negative TikTok review, I panicked. I thought we’d ruined everything. But it turned into one of my biggest lessons.”
“A very old Hermès trench, which I got when I worked at the [brand’s] sample sale in the ’90s, plus a McQueen embroidered cape.”
What is your most treasured fashion item?
£1435
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£1290
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£1890
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£1490
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£1550
Tondo Chain Crossbody
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£1020
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My background is in design, so that’s where I began. In 2019, I started developing the bags without a concrete idea of where they might lead. I took my time—sketching, refining, and wear-testing each style until it felt resolved. Then the pandemic hit, and it suddenly seemed counterintuitive to launch a brand centred around objects meant to be worn outside the home. So, I put the project on pause.
During that time, I began showing samples to friends, and I couldn’t ignore the organic, genuinely enthusiastic response. People were excited—that stayed with me.
A few months into quarantine, I sensed a shift. Women were craving pieces to covet, even if they weren’t wearing them yet, while also becoming more intentional about how they spent. There was a clear move toward investment pieces—vintage bags, secondhand luxury—rather than trend-driven styles. Savette felt aligned with that new mindset, and I decided to take the leap.
My vision has always been to draw from heritage craftsmanship and infuse it with modern design. Savette pieces are minimal, clean and thoughtfully made from high-quality materials, but they’re never anonymous. Our signature metal hardware—a subtle, recognisable detail—sits on every bag. The designs aren’t trend-led; they’re intended to be worn for years. Every piece starts with pared-back geometry: parallel and perpendicular lines, organic curves, harmony and symmetry. As the brand evolved, I’ve also begun asking different questions: What gaps exist in our offering? What do our customers need in their lives and closets?
We try to be sincere and authentic in everything we do. We sometimes say that we are creating objects that are right in every sense of the word—the right proportions, the right level of practicality, and the right balance between the quality and the price. You have to have respect for the customer, and we’ve kept our prices quite consistent all these years. I don’t agree with the mentality of selling super expensive products just for the sake of it, and you don’t care because you know that someone will be ready to pay for it. When you do that, they probably won’t come back. You need to keep that link with the customer; that’s what builds a future.
The one thing I would never compromise on in business? Passion. It’s so important to have passion, and to transmit that to all the people around us. I think that only when you really do things with passion, that you can do them well.
What I’m proudest of is the fact that we have been able to evolve. In nearly 80 years, we have gone from being a tobacco store to a lifestyle brand with a presence all around the world. We didn’t do it in one dramatic revolutionary way—we did it with consistency. We have always evolved, we have always innovated, created, re-imagined. But we have also maintained strong roots and strong pillars, like our Le Pliage and Le Roseau designs. Those two bags are more than 30 years old, and to see women today still wanting them and wearing them is something I’m very proud of. We’ve managed to succeed in keeping them desirable all this time, which is not something that many brands have been able to do.
Success isn’t really what I’m looking for—it’s to feel that I have done my best. To know that I have achieved something in a good way, in the best way I could. And sometimes, of course, it doesn’t work, but I can still feel proud of it, and how I overcame difficulties or tried something different and innovative. We must always learn from our mistakes.
A special moment I will always remember was our collaboration collection with Tracey Emin. It was the first one I ever did, and it was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Le Pliage in 2004. Collaborations were not so common then, few people were doing them—especially one that was so purely artistic. To meet her, to work with her, was incredible, and I think the result perfectly captured Tracey’s spirit, and Longchamp’s spirit too. It was really the beginning of a new page for the brand.
“I design Savette to be timeless and functional, so women don’t feel compelled to buy into constant newness.”
In an era defined by speed and saturation, Amy Zurek is building something deliberately slower. The former designer at The Row and Khaite is the founder of Savette, a luxury accessories brand grounded in restraint, precision and enduring value. At a time when ‘quiet luxury’ has become an overused shorthand, Zurek’s work offers a more meaningful interpretation: thoughtful design, heritage craftsmanship
and pieces intended to last a lifetime—not just for a season. In our latest
Women Who Win, Zurek speaks to Sofia Piza about trusting intuition, resisting compromise and learning to honour progress in its smallest, most human forms.
“Our Le Pliage and
Le Roseau bags are more than 30 years old, so to see women today still wanting them and wearing them is something I’m very proud of.”
Symmetry Mini Bag
Symmetry Pochette
Florence Shoulder Bag
Symmetry Pochette
Florence Hobo Bag
Amy Zurek
Early on, I believed I needed to handle every detail myself. Building the brand pushed me far outside my comfort zone, and I eventually realised how much easier—and stronger—the business would have been if I’d allowed myself to lean on others sooner.
I wish women felt less pressure to chase every trend. Instead, I’d wish they would recognise how empowering it is to invest in fewer, better pieces that are made to last. Savette is designed to be timeless and functional, so women don’t feel compelled to buy into constant newness.
As the mother of a toddler, work-life balance is something I navigate daily. I love what I do, and for this chapter of life, I’ve accepted having a little less personal time.
Honouring small wins—not just the big ones—has been essential for me. I still remember the moment our first home objects sample came back exactly as Alyssa Kapito and I had envisioned. Learning to acknowledge those moments has changed how I experience building a brand and keeps me motivated.
One of my proudest moments was seeing customers truly cherish the pieces—using them as they’re meant to be used. Building a small brand with handcrafted production outside Florence is a milestone I’m deeply proud of.
Honour the slow work. Whether it’s a sketch, a prototype, or a decision, I try to choose quality over speed every time.
“What matters most to me is that customers return—not because they’re chasing a moment, but because they truly love the bags.”
It’s been surreal—and an honour—to see our bags worn by women like Lady Gaga. But what matters most to me is that customers return to Savette. Influential women such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Katie Holmes and Karlie Kloss have been consistent supporters, and that means everything. It tells me they’re choosing the bags because they truly love them—not because they’re chasing a moment.
A new-season favourite is the Symmetry Pochette in black eel-skin leather. It will be exclusively available on our website. The texture adds depth and dimension, and makes the bag even more luxurious.
The integrity of our products is something I’d never compromise on. If a piece needs to meet a specific price point, we make intentional decisions—never forced compromises.
Starting Savette was the bravest—and most challenging—thing I’ve ever done. My experience was rooted in design, but building a brand demands far more than that, and stepping beyond what I knew felt deeply uncomfortable at first. I’m naturally quiet and somewhat risk-averse, so putting my work into the world required a leap of faith.