My name is Brandy Aube'. I have a background in Product Design. I began designing and building furniture and other functional objects about 9 years ago. I never intended to end up in the Fashion Accessory industry, considering that this is unfamiliar territory to me. Although the concept for these bags originated in 2005, their development has been slow going since I do work a full time job. Right now, I do what I can with the time that is left over in my day and hopefully someday I will do this full time.

The idea to make these handbags began around the same time every year that I suddenly become highly "inspired"- Christmas time. Allow me to clarify that by "inspired" I mean under pressure to come up with a great gift idea because I refuse to go shopping and have waited until the last minute- needless to say, I have designed my best products at this time of year. It struck me one day on the drive home. I spent the commute working out the design in my head, I don't even remember the drive home! I really didn't even know how to sew at that time, but I am never afraid to learn something new. From then on, a lot of development took place from finding the perfect hardware for the bags, honing my sewing skills, designing the handles and building jigs and getting the tools needed to manifest the design on paper and in my head. I still have so much that I want to do with them but this is only the beginning!

All of the handles for the handbags are hand forged by me, I have combined my love of metal work with an essential accessory to create an interesting work of "art," a real conversation starter. The bags are still completely made by be from the piping to the label inside. I have several different handle designs which are interchangeable. You may mix and match the bags and the handles, I will soon begin including a matching fabric strap as an option as well as offering different bag designs to fit the handles, and maybe even silk-screening my own graphic designs onto fabric!

I have no nightmare stories as of yet, just little challenges to overcome, such as, the time I get to invest in product development, the resources that I have access to is also a challenge, and lots of questions about suppliers, fabrics, trends. As of now, all of the bags are "one-offs." Each is made based on the fabric that I have available to me, and each is time consuming, I will perhaps start using the word "exclusive" rather than "one-off,"

It makes me feel great when I walk into a boutique toting one of my bags and immediately get a response from owners wondering where I got that bag and how can they get them. I think that this could keep me very busy if I take up the opportunities!