There is a defining moment in the movie The Devil Wears Prada when "Andy" Sachs (portrayed by Anne Hathaway) is given a task by Miranda Priestly, the Editor-and-Chief of the fictional magazine Runway, played by Meryl Streep, and told to acquire the unpublished manuscript of the next Harry Potter book for her twins. The task is considered impossible because the book has not yet been released, but Andy manages to secure the original and delivers several copies bound and printed on deadline. 

This is a scenario that Lucy Sancho and Sabrina Wisely of the Luxe Bureau understand all too well. The former Burberry executive assistants were at the frontline of fashion before establishing their own enterprise in 2024, and while they never encountered the uncompromising whims of “Priestly”, they recall having to deliver the near impossible at a minute's notice – such is the frenetic-pace of the luxury world. “The amount of times I was asked, ‘Can you do this?’ and I immediately said yes before pausing and thinking, ‘How am I going to do this?’” says Sancho. “But somehow I'd find a way to make it work.” Sancho worked closely with Wisely who, for over a decade at the house, looked after designers such as Christopher Bailey as well as subsequent CEOs. “We were the communications team, always contactable. No-one who called went through to voicemail,” Sancho says of their role at the British house known for its iconic trench coats and “Burberry check”. “There was never any frustration about needing something and not having anyone to speak to.”

Over the years, the pair became good friends and their unique experience – having to source beautiful gifts reflecting the craftsmanship and ethos of the house, sometimes at short notice and delivered by hand that day – led to the establishment of the Luxe Bureau, which officially launched late last year. The concept is simple: gifting as an experience with a concierge-like level of service, filling a niche in a 24-hour city hub such as London. Yes, one can send someone traditional flowers and champagne for a special occasion or as a thank you, but also one-off ceramics, handmade by British artisans, which are only available from the brand. The pieces are wrapped in elegant, sustainable packaging that took the pair many months to source, and the card is hand printed on their own letterpress. “And you will speak to Sabrina and I over the phone, nothing has changed,” says Sancho. 

Providing this level of personal service is no mean feat – both women have small children – but they take it in their stride. “We’ve poured everything we learnt at Burberry into the business – it’s second nature,” says Sancho, who recalls spending entire days at the fashion house sourcing chic gifts and packaging, sending someone to collect them before delivering them by taxi across London. “The process is far more complicated than it needs to be, and it felt like there was a huge gap for a same-day luxury service in London, something beautiful and elevated.”

At the heart of their elevated experience is a curated list, from which a gift selection feels more considered. “We have pieces that are a little more interesting than the norm,” Sancho says. “We want to be advocates for female makers and we work with British craftspeople, as we did at Burberry. So artisans like Charlotte McLeish have made one-off designs specially for us.” 

McLeish, the East London-based ceramist who uses a variety of techniques – from pinching and coiling to working at the wheel – produces ceramics referencing British folk art from the 16th and 17th century. For the Luxe Bureau, she’s created an exclusive vase hand painted with folkloric hounds (£450). Margate-based Minnie-Mae Stott, an artist producing pottery in whimsical designs melding British seaside landscapes with Greek mythology and Italian kitsch has designed a limited edition of just 20 Olive Branch Platters for the brand (£250), while Harlie Brown Studio has collaborated with Sancho and Wisely to offer vibrant and characterful Exclusive London Plates (£350 for a set of four), emblazoned with scenes of beloved London streets such as Columbia Road. Each piece produced by the studio is hand built by artist Harlie at her home studio on the Kent coast. 

Different tastes are considered within the curation: from pampering Olivia Von Halle sleep masks and silk robes to Assouline candles with a gilt finished pebble lid (£275). The Laudemio Frescobaldi cold pressed oil and pasta set (£95) is intended for food lovers. The pair have purposely kept the collection small with the idea of constantly rotating the selection seasonally, alongside staples such as flowers. They are already talking to new British makers to add to their repertoire of one-off designs. “We want to build their name with ours,” says Sancho, who is passionate about artisanship. “We’ve found all of the makers have been so open to working with us, especially as we are female founders. It’s the most exciting part of the process.”

The pair somehow also find scope to offer a bespoke service, which is rather like working with a digital personal shopper. “Some clients want us to create much bigger gifting moments for them. We had one tech entrepreneur who needed 30 gifts for his board members for a company anniversary. So we talked through the brief, and came back with three bespoke options, which would be perfect for the team. In the end, he chose a British-made knife set.”

Presentation and the anticipation involved in unwrapping a gift is part of the experience, and the pair worked with the branding agency Duncan Fenech on the details, including packaging.  “That had to look and feel right but also needed to be functional, so we designed an insert on the package for the card, so the recipient could be easily identified if the gift is delivered to a reception,” says Sancho. “There’s also a visualiser on the website so you can see how everything will look together once selected, and it's all delivered with a personalised notecard that is embossed with the sender’s name, initials or company name.”