Handbag Designer 101 started with the concept of creating a community for
handbag designers, aficionados and for making it a destination for buyers and
industry, alike and we are pleased to say we accomplished just that.
Well, HBD101 has been around now for over a year and due to last year's
success of the IHDA, we felt inclined to make it an annual event. We
received over 400 applicants from the U.S. and around the world and this year,
we are expecting double. We realized that with all of the design
competitions in existence, there was not one that would give recognition,
respect and credibility to the overwhelming talent pool of handbag designers -
especially when one would be typically competing against, shoes, belts, hats and
jewelry. (And after 6 years of my own line, trust me I know...)
With all of the sameness, department store consolidation and the
out-of-control prices of labels, the real innovation and creativity can't be
found in the IT bag that some celebrity is carrying - it is from an independent
designer who came with an idea, did everything she (typically a woman) could do
in her power to create something beautiful, useful and attempt to make it
affordable on some level. (This is the reason why we ask all designers
what year was their bag born since making a handbag is the equivalent to giving
birth to a child since the same time, effort, energy, money and love goes into
every last stitch of their line.) Last year's winners proved that fact and we
must confess, we know the real talent right here.
This is truly a special event for us and we certainly hope you can join us in
what we consider a genuine celebration of what handbags are really about. To apply or to purchase tickets click here.
Author: Emily Blumenthal (Want to become a Handbag Correspondent?)
|
