Category Archives: Clutch Women

Being a Product Developer at Clutch Made USA

Generally understated, a product developer plays a very crucial role when you just start building your business. From the small details of the aesthetics behind design to the factors that go into manufacturing, a product developer does it all.  When you think of it, product development is one of the most rudimentarily essential professions, which ends up leading to other necessary jobs in the fields of designing and marketing. After all the efforts put into developing or let’s say planting the sapling for it to grow into a successful product line, the job of a product developer does not end there. It gets even more interesting with the continuous introduction of methods of keeping your product line one of a kind to attract a bigger clientele.

#Speakit.nyc

#Speakit.nyc

Our resident product developer at Clutch Made, Mariela Ferrer, has been developing a capsule collection of Tees and Totes inspired by different elements of society, fashion and politics.  The latest collection is inspired by the candidacy of Hillary Clinton’s campaign for President.  The product developing process of  “Speak it Tees and Totes” made us realize how much creativity goes into the making of product, designing it, working with factories to spec it and then branding and marketing it.

Hillary Tees

A student at Parsons, Mariela spoke to us about her journey so far.

“Being a Product developer is always an interesting process of designing, creating and marketing new products or services to benefit customers, a learning journey and a fun experience. Being part of Clutch Made team and developing a new product has been an exciting and  educational process. I had the opportunity to branch out into the apparel industry and  received an introduction to America’s political scene. The best part of being a product developer is the journey. Taking an abstract idea and bringing it to life is an accelerating and rewarding task.”

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#Speak it is a platform that enables people to express themselves, their beliefs and opinions thru t-shirts and totes.  Finally, there is clothing and accessories in the market place that can speak it; products  made for the people by the people. Check us out at www.speakit.nyc.

 

 

We hope you enjoy our products as much as we enjoy making them for you!   Give us a heads up at www.clutchmade.com and remember to follow us on Instagram: speakitteesandtotes

 

Mariela Ferrer

Mariela Ferrer

 

Mariela Ferrer has been our resident product developer on loan from the Parson’s Master’s Program for Product Development and Management.  She has spent most of the summer months developing all the product and branding for #Speak It t-shirts and totes.  Please let us know your thoughts on the products!

Try us at: http://www.clutchmade.com/freeproductdevelopmentconsult

Keep it Clutch and remember to #SPEAKIT

 

 

Clutch Made Client: Shana Luther talks about Manufacturing in USA

Proudly made in the USA, our current client is Brooklyn-based designer Shana Luther.  Shana creates American made  handbags that display her love of classically modern styling.

Shana got her start in 1999, when she graduated from Pratt Institute and began designing her own bags under the label SML Bags. A one-woman show, she was involved in all aspects of the creative process—from sketches to final sewing of her leather and fabric bags.

By 2012, Shana longed to design bags that went beyond what she could produce on her own. Inspired by her belief in self-reliance, she re-launched the label as Shana Luther Handbags, continuing to showcase her signature designs. Soon after the bags’ debut, numerous fashion magazines and blogs, such as Teen Vogue and The Pursuit of Style, featured the label, with Shana Luther Handbags becoming a finalist in Martha Stewart’s American Made Awards in 2013. In addition to that, Shana was chosen by American Express to participate in their OPEN Rising Stars of Fashion competition at Magic Market Week in Las Vegas in August 2014.

Shana Luther Interview for Clutch Made

Clutch Made: Modern, clean design made with a luxurious touch, tell us a little more about your brand. 
Shana Luther: My line focuses on quality, American made, contemporary leather bags.  I love trends as much as the next woman but my bags are designed to carry season after season with original shapes and clean design. I don’t skimp on materials and I love taking my customers into the production process with behind the scenes photos. I believe you should #knowyourbag!

Clutch Made: Manufacturing in Brooklyn, how has the journey been so far in the American market in terms of acceptance.
Shana Luther: It was never an option for me to produce overseas. I’m such a stickler for quality control that having some factory 7,000 miles away make my designs just made no sense. When I began the line in early ’12, there definitely was a market for American made goods but not as strong as it is today. Consumers are becoming more aware of Made in the USA and it’s become a factor in their purchasing decisions. Almost all of my customers applaud the American made aspect of my products.

Clutch Made: How has your collaboration with clutch made been so far?
Shana Luther: From the moment I met Laura Dotolo, I knew we would hit it off. She’s totally straightforward, honest and funny- my kind of woman.  Laura knows her way around a handbag (no surprise considering her own beautiful line of leather goods) so I felt totally comfortable and at ease working with her and her talented team.

Shana Luther Interview for Clutch Made

Clutch Made: With the rise of fast fashion, people are lacking in their taste for quality and good craftsmanship in products. Considering how well crafted your products are, how would you elaborate on the importance of skilled labor in this timeframe?
Shana Luther: Look, there’s always going to be a market for $5 jogging shorts- even I’m guilty of that on the rare occasion. Not everyone can afford a $400 leather handbag and I understand that. On the flip side, those who care about quality made goods aren’t going anywhere and I don’t think their beliefs will dwindle anytime soon just because they can get a knock-off vinyl bag in Chinatown. For American made designers, it’s important for us to stand by our brand and keep supporting our domestic manufacturers.

Clutch Made: Who is your ideal clientele? If you had to pick one celebrity to endorse your brand, who would it be and why?
Shana Luther: My brand is for everyone and having customers from age 23-65 only proves that. I don’t really have an ideal client. What’s ideal for me is having happy customers. In my mind, that’s all that matters. Ideal celebrity- I’m torn between Solange and Michelle Williams. Strong, smart, modern, very independent women who I admire and would love to see rocking a Shana Luther bag!

Clutch Made: Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years, do you plan to expand to other markets?
Shana Luther: Right now I’m happy being in the women’s American made market. I see myself doing the same thing but on a broader scale, with more stocklists, more styles, and more fans of Shana Luther Handbags.

Shana Luther for Clutch Made

Manufacturer and Me in NYC

 

Manufacturers at work!

Manufacturers at work!

                                                                  USA Manufacturer and Me!

As a working designer I decided that New York City is where I needed to be, so I sub-let my apartment, sold all of my furniture, packed my bags, and moved my life from Chicago to Brooklyn into the apartment of my two best gays.   Paul and Steven are my best buds and they let me spend the next 2 weeks scouring the internet for anything that slightly resembled a career opportunity I was interested in until I saw a post that seemed to fit my idea of “a cool place to work.” Understatement of the year as it turns out.  I applied, got a reply, an interview, and subsequently was offered a job. I accepted the position and began my career with Clutch Made, thus it became the manufacturer and me in NYC.

One of the great things about my new job is that I get to participate in every aspect of the accessory manufacturing process from concept and design to sourcing and production.  While my day starts behind a desk, I’m not there for long as my to-do list is long and everything must get done. A quick ride on the 1 train at Rector street takes me from my office on the Battery to the garment district.  Whether its leather or feathers you’re looking for, you can find it in the garment district and from there, it’s off to our factory. From street level you would never guess what is going on behind the walls of these NYC buildings. Going to our factory is like taking a tour through Willy Wonka’s Candy Factory. We all know and love the finished product but this and here is how it’s made. As I listen to our Creative Director, Laura Dotolo, speak the language of production, it becomes clear to me that there is a science to communication and working efficiently with our factories.

So far I’ve designed and sourced lambskin leather, Swarovski crystals for an evening bag, designed a leather dog collar, a leather cuff bracelet, a cashmere/leather shawl, a mens necktie, and a baby changing bag! I’ve been on a photo shoot where I put my styling skills to work.  I have traveled to three of New York’s five boroughs all in one day to check on our clients’ productions at our factories.

I’ve met people I would have never had the chance to be exposed to; like Russell, a stylish Englishman who designs and manufactures men’s neckties and accessories in LIC and who’s brother happens to be the owner of the popular street wear brand Supreme!  I’ve learned tips and tricks of the industry that only Laura Dotolo could show me.  I’ve realized the importance of over communicating, time management, and meeting deadlines. I’ve also been getting a killer workout with all the running around we do.  I’ve been given an amazing opportunity with Clutch Made. I look forward to what’s to come with my new opportunity and I’ll be sure to keep you all posted along the way!

Stay tuned and write soon!

Ali Cherney

clutchmade.com

Ali is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Art- Chicago with a degree in Fashion Design. Ali likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.  She is into yoga and likes the taste of champagne.

A Designer Day with Clutch Bags

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What words come to find when you hear: Clutch Bags NY?

Classic? Classy! Chic!

Terrific? Timeless! Tasteful!

Effortless? Elegant! Essential!

For many months now I have been blogging for Clutchbags.com and I have had such a great time observing and reporting the new and happening things going on about town. Working with Clutch Bags NY has introduced me to a world of strong women who know what they want and know how to get it.

Though I have been able to interview, review, or research a number of smart and successful women and their accomplishments, I have always (secretly) been awaiting the day I could interview the woman who is Clutch Bags NY: Laura Dotolo. Continue reading →

Clutch Bags Mermaid Moments

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 “The wisdom acquired with the passage of time is a useless gift unless you share it.” Esther Williams

    If we could all just feel as natural in our skin as the late athletically gorgeous movie star, Esther Williams; quite possibly then, success would flow causally with us throughout our lives.

Maybe it was her smile,  or her sureness of her abilities and capabilities. Perhaps it was her hard work and fortitude, changing her game plan as her gold medal dreams translated into Hollywood gold; her gold sequined one piece bathing suit with the metal crown that ultimately broke her back during a 50 foot dive.  Or it could have been the tenaciousness of her bouncing back after four marriages, and seven broken eardrums.  She looked great, took care of herself, followed her dreams and navigated her career with her talents at the helm. She never allowed her broken marriages, or broken bank accounts to take her down.  She moved ahead, rebounding with swimsuits and swimming pools.  A success, surely, professionally and personally.

Continue reading →

Clutch Bags Q & A with Mrs. American Made

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Ana Bogusky (AKA Mrs. American Made) sporting the Clutch NY Pencil Bag

This week Clutch Bags NY was lucky enough to spend some time talking with Ana Bogusky. Some of you might know her as Mrs. American Made.  For years now, she has invested in buying clothes that are only made in the USA. So keep reading to find out how and why she joined this movement!

Why are “Made in USA” brands so important to you? In 2006, our family moved from Miami, Florida, to Boulder, Colorado, and our lives changed in many ways. We started becoming more aware of the environment, we started eating more carefully, we started caring about sustainability. So I began reading labels on food packaging and joined a CSA and bought more local. As a natural progression “Made in USA” became important to me. Locally grown. Made in America. Those are the brands that guarantee the things we buy are made to the standards in the safe and clean manufacturing that we believe in. So now I am reading labels on my clothes and so many pieces are made in China, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, etc. Today, only 2% of the clothing sold here is made here. In 1960, 95% of clothing sold in the United States was made in the United States. And it turns out that if consumers spent just an extra 1% on U.S. goods, it would create 200,000 jobs. It seems like a simple choice to me now.        Continue reading →

Clutch Bags NY Loves Mom

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Mother's Day

Mother’s Day

May 12, 2013

Today is that special day when we celebrate moms across the country.  It is a day to remember how much our moms have sacrificed their lives for ours.  It is a day to be reminded of how much energy moms have put into raising little babies into children, children into teenagers, teenagers into young adults and young adults into big people.  Every step of the way our moms will always be our moms.  They will forever be the dear people we hold close to our hearts, as our life began with their hearts beating close to ours.  We love our moms for all they have done, how they have been there to support us and cheer us on, to listen to our worries, our concerns, our tears, our dreams.  Our moms have been there to hug us when we are down, to tell us that we will rise up again, to cheer us on when we are low.  They are our biggest fans when we reach our goals, their happiness beaming through their souls.  Throughout our lives, whenever they see us, their smiles light up their faces, speaking stories of their everlasting love, the life of a novel they have shared with us.

To all moms everywhere, not just today, but everyday, we love you and appreciate you for the beautiful life you have given us.

 

Happy Mother’s Day from Clutch Bags NY!

 

 

 

 

 

Clutch Bags Q & A: April loves Bags

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This week Clutch Bags NY was lucky enough to spend some time talking with April Dinwoodie. Not only is she a Clutch NY client, she is also a woman with more than one career. April is a successful publicity director and the cofounder of a nonprofit organization called Fostering Change for Children.

Keep reading to find out what motivates April to keep moving forward!

 

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April at home with her Clutch NY mail bag

Why do you like living in NYC? New York is full of diversity. Overall, it has a great vibe. I grew up in Rhode Island which is pretty much just one note. Whereas New York is many notes. So I love it for that reason. What inspires you? Young people who have had tremendous hurdles in life, yet they manage to get themselves out of bed everyday and put a smile on their face. There’s nothing more inspiring to me than that. What gives you hope? More or less the same thing. Seeing someone breakthrough. When a person has something really challenging in front of them, watching them overcome it makes me feel hopeful.  Continue reading →

Clutch Bags: Ode to the Prowess of a Lady

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Margaret Thatcher, Prowess of a Lady

Margaret Thatcher, Prowess of a Lady

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”

                                                                             -Margaret Thatcher

Lady leadership has been so scarce in our lifetime. However, the ladies that have been triumphant in history have a legacy that lives forever.  How fortunate we are that our lives have  intersected that of the great Lady Leader Margaret Thatcher.

As a young woman alive on this planet during the election and leadership of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, I have been personally influenced by her role as a powerful political female figurehead.  It has been her undeniable strength as a woman that has effected me most.  A woman who commanded the respect of a leader, consistently possessed the dignity and prowess of a lady.  The positive female role that Margaret Thatcher exuded during her lifetime will forever be ingrained in the navigational skills of leadership that I use to build Clutch Bags NY into a strong Made in USA brand of handbags that I believe in.  Mrs. Thatcher taught me to stand firm for what you believe in, and set a path that is your own.

“Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” — Margaret Thatcher

With great respect and gratitude-

Laura Dotolo

Clutch Bags NY

Clutch Bags Q & A: Maria Beauty

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Clutch Bags NY was lucky enough this week to spend some time talking with Maria De Los Angeles,  a Clutch NY client who happens to be a very successful and inspirational NYC hairstylist.

Keep reading to find out how Maria went from a conformable Catholic schoolgirl to a strong and resilient businesswoman!

Screen Shot 2013-03-29 at 5.43.16 PMWhat does your profession mean to you? I’m a hairstylist and I see it as an art form. The hair is a blank canvas and the face is the structure, so I blend them together. But I don’t just do hair, I care about the people I work with. I care about those people out there. They’re my people. How did you know this was the career path  for you? I knew that I loved structure, I loved clothes, art, and I loved nature. What was your first job? My career started in the fashion business. I worked for Norma Kamali for eight years, from 1981 to about 1989-ish. And I started as an intern. I worked for free and then she hired me.

Where did you grow up? I lived in the South Bronx. I was born in 1963, so during that time it was a very working-class-neighborhood, very Catholic school, very uniform. What were you like when you were younger? I grew up in a family of five. And it’s interesting, because I grew up tending to be the peacemaker in the family and a little more submissive. You know, you want to be a good kid. Who was your first mentor? Continue reading →