To Julia Stephens, there is a lot more to her Bermuda handbag line than a great design — it’s also the connection she builds with each customer. Small wonder then that Threadneedle Studio won both the People’s Choice and the Judge’s Choice in The Bermudian Magazine’s Best of Bermuda Awards this year.

“I always say it’s not just about the product that you're buying. It's about the service and knowing that when you buy a product, the brand stands behind the product,” Ms Stephens said.

“It’s a trust [in the quality of the product] and the service that people are looking for — that’s what gives you the repeat orders.”

She launched her company nearly a decade ago. On visits from New York, she was eager to find locally-made souvenirs that her friends back home would use but was unable to find anything that fit the bill.

Once she moved here she decided to create something of her own.

Threadneedle Studio makes varied sizes of canvas and vegan leather totes and clutches and authentic gemstone bracelets for women and men.

Alongside her ready-made collection of handbags, Ms Stephens offers customers the chance to design their own, guiding them through choices of style, size, colour, embroidery, straps, interior fabric, and closures.

Once all that’s decided, a bag can be ready in less than a week.

Two key tools power the work: an industrial embroidery machine and a seven-needle embroidery machine.

The latter can run up to seven different thread colours at once — dramatically increasing speed and efficiency for complex, multicoloured designs.

“Each machine has their job to do,” she said. “My husband [Julian Wheddon] cuts material on weekends. I'm very particular, so before I hire someone or have someone help me there will be some testing.”

Her guesstimate is she’s now made “hundreds” of bags.

“Most of my customers are here. I do have some customers in New York, some of my clients are online, but mainly they're here — it’s the locals that come out to Harbour Nights. And ever since we got the awards there's definitely been a huge increase in orders,” she said.

“There’s a lot of people out there who have seen my posts on Instagram but I'd never seen them in person.

“So that's why Harbour Nights was great marketing as well — for people to actually see and feel the fabric.”

Ms Stephens was thrilled to hear from so many fans of her handwork that they had nominated her for the Best of Bermuda Award — and even happier to learn she’d won.

As stylish as they are, the bags are also built to last — and with custom designs, you get the added bonus that you won’t be walking down the street and spotting the same one on someone else’s arm.

“The new designs are also very popular. We have the multi-toned lizard, which is super popular. Then we have the turtle; people love the seahorse, the dolphin; the longtail is a classic.”

Bags with the words “Home” and “Ace Girl” are bestsellers; Ms Stephens’s depiction of an “evil eye” is another bestseller.

“People love that. It's really just about everyone's creativity. The Cup Match bags were very popular this year as well. It is not just one thing that is popular. But I think people like to choose what they want on their bag.”

Many people buy the bags as presents. The designer recommends people put in their orders for custom bags now, to ensure they’re ready for Christmas.

“I got a lot of requests last year: ‘Oh, what about for men?’ We also have these amazing bracelets. My husband created the entire bracelet line, which is spectacular. They make great stocking stuffers and you can bundle them up — buy one, two or three,” she said.

She also has two “man bags” — in black and navy.

“They’re shaped differently than the crossbody, they're longer; a typical man bag. They're very classy. And then I have these beautiful toiletry bags for men as well.”

• Julia Stephens’s bags are available at the St Regis, The Reefs and through her websitewww.threadneedlestudio.com. Bags start at $75 and can be delivered island-wide. Follow on Instagram:@threadneedle.studio