But it's the everyday women who sling them over their shoulders that mean the most to this handbag designer.
"I never forget where I started," says Susan Farber, international handbag designer and Squirrel Hill native. "It's so important to remember that. There are a lot of people in Pittsburgh who have supported me and mentored me that I won't forget."
Farber, who is one of many local handbag designers, combined a degree in advertising from Syracuse University in New York and years of experience in the business world to start her line in 2003 with an edgy and sophisticated collection of bags and beaded belts. After just five years, her business went international.
You can find her collections in the United Kingdom, Japan, Paris and Hong Kong, among other places. Her items are available online at Nordstrom.com and in its stores. Her bags have been featured in publications such as ELLE and Women's Wear Daily. Prices start at $195. Farber makes everything from clutches to cross-body to shoulder bags.
"I started out going to New York to make some contacts, and it all just snowballed from there," Farber says at Larrimor's Downtown, which carries her bags. "There have been a lot of challenges along the way, but I am not one to look back. I prefer to look forward."
'Expect to be noticed" is the theme behind her bags. Their uniqueness caught the eye of Tom Michael, president of Larrimor's.
"We really like her handbags," Michael says. "They have a great contemporary look. We didn't choose her because she is from Pittsburgh. We chose her because we love the bags. We saw them in New York and had to have them in the store."
Handbags are pieces of art, says designer Alison Newman, a native of England who lives in Murrysville.
"I enjoy the combination of yarns, frayed silks, loosely woven cottons, shiny metal, soft velvet and sheers that will melt when heated to expose the colors and textures underneath," Newman says.
Newman says she learned how to knit from watching a YouTube video. Her creations are perfect for carrying items such as glasses, iPods or jewelry when traveling, and they make wonderful evening bags.
She is one of several designers featured at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts gift shop in Shadyside. One of her bags is made from black velvet, fused with pieces of silk and other sheers and adorned with bits of metals. A soldering iron helps create a burn-out effect. Prices start at $40.
"I think people really like to get something that is made by a local artist because it is unique," Newman says. "Even if I make the same bag, it won't look exactly like any other, because the colors or stitching might be different. We are all creating individual pieces of art."
Suz Pisano of the North Side has an upbeat personality that matches her colorful and interesting handbags. In her Downtown studio, you will see bold and bright hues, and bags that make you do a double take, such as the black AstroTurf backpack, another created from a bicycle tire and yet another from a Carnegie Museum banner.
Pisano sells her wares at Sugar Boutique and Pageboy in Lawrenceville, as well as Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.
"I have always loved accessories, and a handbag is a wonderful accessory because it changes the look of an outfit, and handbags are a reflection of your fashion style," says Pisano, who left a career as a drug and alcohol counselor to create handbags full time. "I look around and see what interests me, and then I create bags from what I've found. I love seeing all the wonderful fabrics."
And she's not shy about the types of places she'll go to find materials. She has shopped in various stores, including Agway and The E R Room, which sells rubber and adult items, in Lawrenceville.
"I like to make purses that are different," Pisano says. "I love it when customers see a purse that fits their personality. I have a really fun job, and I don't think of it as work."
Neither does Cill Snyder of East Liberty.
She starts her process by choosing a color scheme and then adding other hues. She attaches a ladybug to each bag for good luck. Check out her pieces, which start at $45, at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.
"There are so many talented people in Pittsburgh," Snyder says. "I enjoy seeing what other handbag designers have created. It is a blessing to be able to do something that you love to do. I try to make them colorful and fun and in all kinds of fabrics. No two bags are alike."
Amanda Gross of East Liberty collects tea bag wrappers and uses them to create whimsical, fun pocketbooks. Her handbags are sold at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Society for Contemporary Craft in the Strip District. Prices range between $35 and $70.
"I think that being Earth-conscious and eco-friendly is important to artists, and part of our creativity is using and reusing materials," says Gross, who teaches a recycled-fashion design class at the Neighborhood Academy in Garfield. "Also, a lot of artists don't have money, so reusing materials is a way to help save money. We all appreciate the local support we've received."
Supporting one of your own is why Patricia Goettel, owner of Patricia Boutique in Mt. Washington, carries handbags made by Christina Roselle of Monroeville.
"It's the whole 'buy local' thing," Goettel says. "We support local farms, so why not support local art and artists?"
Roselle designs and manufactures handbags made out of leather, carpet, fur and fabrics. She often uses recycled fabrics, and will attach something, such as a coin or antique key, to a bag. Prices range from $125 to $490.
Her first job was as an assistant designer for Pierre Cardin Handbags. A little over a year later, she was promoted to designer and spent time in Europe observing fashion trends. She has worked as a liaison between Calvin Klein and the Omega Fashions factory, interpreting belt designs and developing a line of women's accessories.
Read another --
No comments:
Post a Comment