Handbag Designer 101: The Stories Behind Handbag Designers, Brands, and Industry Icons
Emily Blumenthal
116 episodes
2 days ago
What if the secret to growth isn’t chasing the next trend—but carrying a dream with enough grit to outlast them? In this episode, Adriana Castro shares how she turned Colombian craftsmanship and business discipline into a timeless accessories brand. Leaving a safe corporate path for design school, she transformed professors into mentors and built her first collection—and its production—from the ground up in Barranquilla. Adriana breaks down her hybrid strategy of pairing indigenous natural fi...
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What if the secret to growth isn’t chasing the next trend—but carrying a dream with enough grit to outlast them? In this episode, Adriana Castro shares how she turned Colombian craftsmanship and business discipline into a timeless accessories brand. Leaving a safe corporate path for design school, she transformed professors into mentors and built her first collection—and its production—from the ground up in Barranquilla. Adriana breaks down her hybrid strategy of pairing indigenous natural fi...
🎙️ From Soho to Sustainability: How Steven Alan Built—and Rebuilt—a Lasting Brand | Emily Blumenthal & Steven Alan
Handbag Designer 101: The Stories Behind Handbag Designers, Brands, and Industry Icons
42 minutes
2 weeks ago
🎙️ From Soho to Sustainability: How Steven Alan Built—and Rebuilt—a Lasting Brand | Emily Blumenthal & Steven Alan
What if the difference between a forgettable line and an enduring brand came down to a handful of details and a few brave decisions? In this episode, Steven Alan unpacks how a small Soho storefront became a global showroom, why discovery will always trump trade-show buying, and how clean distribution keeps both the magic and the margin intact. From recognizing Claire V’s voice in five self-sewn bags to cultivating independent designers who’d later define the modern accessories space, Steven s...
Handbag Designer 101: The Stories Behind Handbag Designers, Brands, and Industry Icons
What if the secret to growth isn’t chasing the next trend—but carrying a dream with enough grit to outlast them? In this episode, Adriana Castro shares how she turned Colombian craftsmanship and business discipline into a timeless accessories brand. Leaving a safe corporate path for design school, she transformed professors into mentors and built her first collection—and its production—from the ground up in Barranquilla. Adriana breaks down her hybrid strategy of pairing indigenous natural fi...
