As far as most shoppers know, every leather bag has a different logo, a different tag, and a different origin story. But those involved know that most handbags are the product of the same humble town, located in the hills of Andalusia, Spain.

Ubrique, Spain, is the undisputed handbag capital of the fashion world and, more recently, the site of a quiet revolution in accessories. Direct-to-consumer brands have sought out factories where traditional luxury brands have been produced for decades, and have succeeded in designing equally high-quality bags without the brand markup.

In June, I traveled 3,610 miles from New York to Ubrique, Spain, with one such intrepid handbag designer: the Scottish brand Strathbury, which, since its founding in 2013, has been working with the Ubrique-based "affordable Since its inception in 2013, the brand has been delivering on its mission of "affordable luxury" from Ubrique with its exquisitely crafted, yet not totally unaffordable leather accessories. To date, the brand has attracted customers from Fashion Week regulars to the Royal Family, all based on design alone. Until my visit, they had never invited customers into their workshop, which they share with other luxury brands.

Strathbury's leather totes, bar cloth wallets, and braided crossbody bags are all made by hand in Ubrique's five workshops, as are those of traditional Spanish designers like Carolina Herrera, Loewe, and Lemaire. Ubrique's artisans spend 20 hours shaping, sewing, and painting the bags by hand. Regardless of the final style or the logo stamped on the tag, the exact same equipment and knowledge is used.

It is no coincidence that designer bags of all genres are produced in Ubrique. (However, with a little Googling, it is not too difficult to pin down exactly who is producing them and where.) One artisan we spoke with at a workshop in Strathbury said he started in the business when he was a teenager. They have been doing this for generations. They have been doing this for generations. It's very difficult to find the same level of quality outside of Ubrique," Katie Wood, Strathbury's head of sourcing and supply, told me

. That's why all the major luxury brands produce in Ubrique and have done so for a long time"

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"Years ago," Wood says, "everyone shopped at the big, well-known brands. Back then, there just weren't many emerging brands that offered attractive alternatives in terms of price and overall design." Now, brands such as Demelier, Porraine, and Strathbury have entered the market, and as newcomers, they have the flexibility to compete on price.

My peek behind the workshop curtains highlighted a larger bag trend happening on the other side of the Ubrique hill: traditional luxury bags have never been such a big investment. Traditional luxury bags have never been such a great investment. The design house raised the price of several styles by $1,000 this year, raising the cost of signature styles without changing anything in the design itself, as far as shoppers could tell. Strathbury bags, on the other hand, range from $450 to $900 without compromising on quality.

Without going to the workshop floor, shoppers notice the difference between what they are paying and what they are buying. Fashion educators like Tanner Leatherstein regularly dismantle bags to demonstrate the value of raw materials. (In many cases, he gives direct-to-consumer brands a higher overall rating.)

For the Strasberries of the world, opening the factory doors works to their advantage: shoppers not only know that their bags are endorsed by Princess Kate and Meghan Markle, but also that they are not being overcharged. [The fashion industry has changed a lot. When I think back to when I first started, there was no sharing of what was being produced where. I mean, there was no transparency to customers at all," Wood says. Now people are starting to understand where things are produced. What is the process?"

Indeed, bags are born, not made. Some brands gain familiarity by creating an image for years and years. But now that the secret is out, there is a choice between shopping for a long-loved style or shopping for a name alone.