Meet Katie Hillier, the fashion world's best-kept secret

Once the head accessories designer at Marc by Marc Jacobs, where she created some of the most coveted bags of the decade - she continues to work there as a creative consultant - Hillier is now the expertise behind Victoria Beckham's phenomenally successful bag line, and a consultant for Henry Holland's House of Holland label and for designer Stuart Vevers, with whom she recently collaborated to re-imagine Loewe's iconic Amazona tote bag.

A British Fashion Awards winner, Hillier's past employers include Stella McCartney, Jonathan Saunders, Gap and Luella Bartley. The 37-year-old Greenford-born designer, who lives in Victoria Park, has also launched her own eponymous line, a fine jewellery collection, designed to encapsulate her trademark "luxury with a wink" approach.

"I do love what I do," says Hillier as we sit down a stone's throw from her studio at Shoreditch's Rochelle Canteen. The fair-haired designer has found a spare hour in a hectic schedule that involves her spending "most weekends" in the studio, 10 days a month in New York and "never ever" seeing her boyfriend who, incidentally, is Patrick Grant, the designer behind successful menswear line E Tautz.

"I've got to a position now where I'm very happy with all the things I'm working on, they're all amazing in their own ways."

Even Victoria? Hillier started work on Beckham's luxury bag line two years ago. The beautifully crafted line of accessories - with a price tag in excess of £2,300 - is reported to have helped the label rake in some £15 million in the first three months of this year.

"Victoria is super-smart," says Hillier, who has been impressed by the former Spice Girl's attention to detail. "People need to rethink their opinion of her, she knows a lot about handbags. In fact, she knows a lot about everything to do with fashion. Working with her is not only really good fun, it's satisfying because the product is so amazing."

The appeal of Hillier's work for Beckham is its subtlety. While the accessories world is littered with heavily branded tote bags, Beckham's range is free of fuss - the bags don't even feature a logo.

"It's hard to design a bag that speaks for itself," says Hillier. "With Victoria, it's all about the quality. I get emails from her saying, 'The little inside pocket doesn't have the right stitching.' Our focus isn't on designing a logo but on finding the right leather. I enjoy working on something that I know means something."

Hillier's journey was a long, occasionally bumpy one that saw her dip into almost every aspect of the fashion industry before arriving in her role as the UK's most exciting handbag designer. After completing a BTEC course at Hounslow College, Hillier went to the University of Westminster's campus in Harrow where visiting lecturers included John Galliano and Clements Ribeiro. It was during this time that she met Love Magazine editor and stylist Katie Grand, for whom she later worked at Dazed & Confused.

"I made Katie a keyring out of beads for her birthday," says Hillier, "and she loved it and was keen to see what else I could do."

As a result, Hillier created a series of beaded belts for a shoot Grand was doing with Sharleen Spiteri. "The rest," she says, "is history."

Luella Bartley's label was just taking off when Hillier scored a job as her assistant. "I learned so much. We did the press together, the sales, I even produced the shows." Hillier seems to have learned from Bartley's errors - the label had to close with financial trouble in 2009. "We had an amazing time of growing and making terrible business mistakes because we didn't know any better."

After Bartley was forced to "let her go", Hillier worked for Marc Jacobs - she describes him as a genius - where she has been for nine years.

But it is on the subject of growing her own label that Hillier talks most passionately. "I get the highest design satisfaction out of Hillier because it's what we want to do. You don't compromise on design."

While the current collection - fine jewellery focused on her love for bunnies - remains a small venture, Hillier has plans for her own line of bags, wallets and sunglasses. Although she remains tight-lipped, "watch this space," she says, her eyes twinkling. "I think - in fact I know - I've got the headspace to do it all." For the sake of handbag lovers everywhere, I certainly hope so.