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Handbag Designer 101: The Stories Behind Handbag Designers, Brands, and Industry Icons
Master the handbag trends, fashion retail, and brand building fashion strategies that define the luxury goods industry. Each week on Handbag Designer 101, host Emily Blumenthal—the ultimate resource for fashion entrepreneurs—explores the art of brand storytelling and accessories design.
As the author of Handbag Designer 101 and founder of The Independent Handbag Designer Awards (the most prestigious fashion award in the category), Emily goes behind the scenes of your favorite handbag brands. From fashion startup founders to fashion craftsmanship experts, this podcast features exclusive designer interviews and insights into iconic handbag history.
Whether you’re an aspiring designer, a collector, or a fashion executive, join us to discover the business savvy and creativity required to succeed in the handbag market. Get the inside scoop on leather goods manufacturing, fashion wholesale, and the journeys of visionary creators.
Our episodes serve as a living designer biography, covering everything from bag collection design to scaling a global brand.
Tune in every Tuesday to "Handbag Designer 101" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, or watch full episodes on YouTube, and highlights on TikTok.
Handbag Designer 101: The Stories Behind Handbag Designers, Brands, and Industry Icons
Latest Episodes
From Recycled Plastic to a Global Bag Brand: How Got Bag Found Product-Market Fit | Emily Blumenthal & Kathrin Melchior
Can a backpack made from ocean-bound plastic become a global accessories brand? In this episode, Kathrin Melchior of Got Bag shares how thoughtful product development, customer insights, and sustainable innovation transformed a crowdfunding ide...
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Know Your Customer or Lose Your Brand | Emily Blumenthal & Alex Greifeld
What separates brands that grow from those that stall? In this episode, growth marketing consultant Alex Greifeld shares why defining your ideal customer is the foundation of every successful fashion brand. Drawing on experience at FIT, Jones N...
Turning Leather Waste into Luxury Handbags | Emily Blumenthal & Cassandra Kane
What happens when a designer steps inside the Italian luxury manufacturing system and sees how much material never makes it into the final product? In this episode, Cassandra Kane shares how a move to Florence transformed her understanding of c...
Why Gen Z Buys Luxury Differently: Insights from Hitha Herzog | Emily Blumenthal & Hitha Herzog
What drives a generation to skip credit card debt yet confidently spend on a vintage Balenciaga or a Fendi Baguette? In this episode, Hitha Herzog, Chief Research Officer at H Squared Research, breaks down the economic and cultural forces shapi...
From Financial Advisor to Handbag Inventor | Emily Blumenthal & Penny Crook
What happens when a sentimental handbag inspires an entirely new business? In this episode, Penny Crook, founder of Denault Handbags, shares how a purse gifted by her late father sparked the idea for a patented reversible handbag designed to si...
