My partner and I knew we wanted to collaborate on something we both loved. My eye for fashion-forward pieces and his perspective on design and proportion suggested handbags as a place for collaboration. Tucker Paisley is still very new, having launched just last year. We really wanted the debut collection to have a singular focus on our Signature Pattern since the pattern is meant to be the core of the line. We think our first line accomplished this task while still providing enough variety to our customers. Our latest bags add more textures, colors, and looks to our line, drawing on our signature shapes and patterns but using more luxurious leathers. We are also spending more time on specialty bags and accessories, which we see as a natural extension of the handbag line.

The Tucker Paisley Signature Pattern makes every Tucker Paisley bag unique and striking. Some of our bags showcase the Signature Pattern on the exterior while others use the pattern in more subtle ways, as lining or accent. Many of our larger bags feature our Signature Pattern on washable, dry cleanable cotton-blend fabric, which is backed with canvas. Our latest collection uses Italian leathers, in patents, mattes, and metallics.  We continue to draw inspiration from our Signature Pattern. We will never lose the classic roots of the Signature Pattern, but we’ll constantly be thinking about ways to update it and use it in unexpected ways.  We see Tucker Paisley customers as sophisticated, fashion-forward women who view handbags as key accessories in their day and evening wardrobes. These are women looking for a unique bag that is well-designed, well-made, and a fitting accent to their own signature look.

We saw a distinct hole in the market when it came to well-made bags that mixed fabric and leather and offered something different. We wanted to introduce interesting patterns and textures and colors to the handbag market at prices that would allow our customers to buy them as pieces to really make an outfit. Our Signature Pattern, which is a modern, sophisticated take on paisley, is our original creation. All of our fabric is customized with our pattern so we can continue to experiment with new textures and colors. We’ve already produced more than 10 color combinations and printed on cotton-blends, satins, suedes, and canvas. Also, each bag is named after a special woman in our lives, with our first collection honoring our grandmothers, Henne and Molly.

The most memorable nightmare took place when we were preparing to debut our line with our launch party in Los Angeles last year, we made last-minute design and construction changes to what has become our signature look – the Molly Tote – which pushed us right up against our party. We were literally picking up finished bags from production and driving them to the party. Of course, everything worked out, no one knew about the rush before the party, and the construction change ended up being a key to the bag’s success.

To catch the eye of emerging style icon Katherine Heigl was a great moment. She saw our Signature Pattern Molly Tote in a Los Angeles shop, picked it up instantly, and the next night carried it down the red carpet at the premiere of Dreamgirls. That doesn’t happen very often. Seeing that bag in her hands as the centerpiece of her outfit made us realize that we could really get our design ideas circulating.