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ATHENSKDESIGNS

Peony spring basket, lined with a matching cotton floral print, ribbon tie closure, $65
Moss and Agate shoulder bag, crocheted raffia surrounds a matching lining, $85 Vanilla Silk and Beads evening bag, long beaded fringe from a silk floral damask, $55
Peony spring basket, lined with a matching cotton floral print, ribbon tie closure, $65 Moss and Agate shoulder bag, crocheted raffia surrounds a matching lining, $85 Vanilla Silk and Beads evening bag, long beaded fringe from a silk floral damask, $55

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1. I love these inspiration stories. Handmade bags are the most impressive I think. - Sarah from WA, January 19, 2007.
 

I always try to avoid using pre-manufactured handles and closures if possible. This is why you will see dressmaker snaps on my purses, and not magnetic snaps. I want you to KNOW that a human being created your purse, not a machine, and that your purse is singular and unique. There aren't a hundred of them out there in the world. Anyone can go to the local fabric store and buy a plastic handle. I MAKE my handles. I use my skills to create something individually suited for that bag.

When I was 7 years old, my mom taught me how to sew on her secondhand Singer sewing machine. While my sister played with the Barbie's, I made clothes for them out of mom's scraps. I also taught myself to crochet, and cross-stitch. My love of textiles was born! As I grew up, I earned an AA in Fashion Merchandising and a BS in Marketing. The first 20 years of my career was spent in all aspects of the jewelry business. I went from piercing ears to buying and selling estate jewelry. But I wanted more. Finally, I opened my first boutique: The Wedding Store and More. While I had that store, I participated in several fashion shows, numerous bridal show exhibits, and created custom wedding accessories for a select few clients. Brides grew to depend on me for sage advice and good fashion sense. I became the local wedding expert. But I still liked designing and creating the best but I knew this just wasn't enough.

During the last 5 years, I've been re-igniting my love of fabrics, trims and beads. I've discovered the rich brocades and silks that come from the interior design community. Oh! and I so love the texture and richness of India's sari's! I even have a treasure trove of secretly stashed fabrics from the windows of a famous jeweler (that I can't say who...) Everything my eye lands on has potential to become a purse! Jewelry parts become zipper pulls. Broken necklaces transform into purse handles. Sometimes I even hijack the tassels from friends' pillows. (Now those are true friends!!) Making my wrist bags has been an evolution in the textile arts. I get such joy from combining diverse materials into a single unique expression, which also happens to have a practical use. It makes me so happy to see my creations go to a fine and deserving home. I love that my childhood passion for organization, and for fabrics, color and texture has evolved into a skill and an art, which fuses form, function and design into something useful and creative that many people can enjoy.

Speaking of which, I have a funny story related to that. Once I was in the "zone" and was cutting out several bags at once. Well, of course, I accidentally cut through too many layers and nicked through another purse front. Well, necessity is the mother of invention... I created 2 corner patches to cover my 1 mistake. It looked like it was an intentional part of the design. That was one of the first bags that sold at my next show. Irony is everything, go figure.

 
What is your name? AthensK
Where are you from? A Greek gal born in San Francisco, CA
Where do you live now? San Francisco, California
How old are you? 44
Do you have a design background? Not a formal one.
Do you still have a day job? Yes.
What year were your bags born? 2000
Bag brand name: AthensKDesigns
What is their retail price range? $45 - $125
Where can a shopper buy your bags? www.AthensKDesigns.com and local trunk shows in S.F.
For more information, contact: www.AthensKDesigns.com

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