Spring 2009 brought the debut of the FOLLIS Collection in stores. So far the response has been great, despite the harsh economic conditions. The list of stores carrying our bags keeps building and we’re ready to take off!   At FOLLIS, our focus is well crafted leather bags. When I first began designing handbags, I was inspired by the leather itself and a desire to get back to basics and combine the purity of high-quality, finely crafted leather bags with a sensibility of style void of flashy embellishments but full of function and aesthetically pleasing design. FOLLIS literally means “leather bag” and was the name of a coin in ancient Rome.

A few years into a career in fashion design, my frustration was growing because while I had amassed a great wardrobe, my handbag choices were limited. At the time, bags on the market were too flashy, too impractical for daily use and too pricey. So I decided to start making my own combining the best leathers, quality craftsmanship, and styles versatile enough to take a girl from day-to-night, West Coast-to-East Coast, and everything in between.

When I was brand new to bag making, I gave my sample-maker a sketch, and briefly explained the design. A few weeks later I saw the sample and to my horror it was completely flat! He explained saying, “I followed the sketch.” Sure enough, my sketch didn’t include a ¾ or side view, just the view from the front. Now I know better.

Designing bags can be exhausting! It’s not just whipping up a sketch and choosing colors; I’m constantly running around the city from store to store looking for just the right stud or zipper, hauling leather (we’re talking full cow hides) to my sample maker and taking meetings with potential buyers. But when my sample maker presents a finished product to me, just as I imagined it--that’s an amazing moment!