Category Archives: Weekly Inspiration

Best Fall Trends for Handbags in New York!

With every season that comes and goes, we get more and more convinced that the accessories market is booming and conquering the entire fashion industry. While trends fluctuate and change your wardrobe every season, statement accessories continue to make a splash. Making a good investment in an accessory, such as a handbag, makes more sense than buying  apparel at the same price.  Be reminded that apparel withers, goes out of fashion and becomes useless faster than a subway ride from the Bronx to Wall Street.

After careful consideration, we narrowed down the best fall trends for handbags for a perfect New Yorkite!

LV Bag

Louis Vuitton Miniature Box Bag

Miniature box bags– Box bags have always been a hit for girls in New York! It’s the perfect bag to rock the never-ending nightlife of the city. Apart from the style, the bag is feasible with its size and structure, making it an all time favorite.

Two Toned Celine Tote

Two Toned Celine Tote

Two-tone totes: Fall tends to get very monochrome in NYC because of the dull weather. With the new trend of two-toned bags, you add some versatility and some color to your style and wardrobe.

Stella McCartney Foldover Clutch

Stella McCartney Foldover Clutch

Foldable bags: The laid back bags look like every kids brown paper lunch bags. After an army of structured and perfect bags for the workingwomen of New York, an easy and foldable bag will definitely be seen worn by some Soho girls.

Narciso Rodriguez Structured clutch

Narciso Rodriguez Structured clutch

Structured bags: Continuing their reigns from the last seasons, structured and symmetrical bags are very much still in. For every businesswoman and aspiring girl boss, these bags are  perfect as they help you organize your super busy lifestyle with multiple pockets and structured shapes.

Sonia Rykiel Oversized Coin Purse

Sonia Rykiel Oversized Coin Purse

Over sized coin purse bags: Who doesn’t like a small little cute coin purse? Reflecting the evergreen and iconic style of Jackie Kennedy, over sized coin purses are for the shy yet fun girl in New York!

Chloe Fringed Bag

Chloe Fringed Bag

Fringed bags: Fringes equate to Boho chic which is a very summer trend. Incorporating fringes in dark fall colors and fabrics is a total win. The bag will continuously remind you of the beautiful summer that New York offers and will keep you motivated to bear the horrible cold of the city!

Tell us which is your favorite @ clutch made fb page

Why is NEW YORK the best city to work in!

We as a manufacturing business were born and bred in the heart of the concrete jungle, NYC. Working here for almost a gazillion years, you don’t realize the importance of the city until you sit down to have dinner with a bunch of your friends who work all around the world.  These international friends still seem to envy your lifestyle  in this amazing metropolis.  After many brief discussions with these friends,  I decided to come up with a short list  of things that happen only in New York City and which no other city has to offer. Check out my list here:

Inspired by the lifestyle of New York, our latest campaign for Clutch Bags.

Inspired by the lifestyle of New York, our latest campaign for Clutch Bags.

Diversity – New York is a melting pot of all kinds of cultures, races and people. Take a stroll around Central Park; it’s like a fun presentation of all the amazingly diverse ethnicities that reside in New York. Every part of the city has something different to offer, from the amazing Indian/Pakistani food markets in Queens, to the Greek Restaurants in Astoria, this city is a home to all.

Inspired by the lifestyle of New York, our latest campaign for Clutch Bags.

Inspired by the lifestyle of New York, our latest campaign for Clutch Bags.

Lifestyle – New York presents lifestyle opportunities to you that no other city can offer. From going to laundromats, to running for your busy morning subways, this city  makes you TOUGH, INDEPENDENT AND STREET SMART. Once you learn to live in this amazingly fast paced lifestyle, you can easily fit and adjust to any other regime that the world has to offer.

Inspired by the lifestyle of New York, our latest campaign for Clutch Bags.

Inspired by the lifestyle of New York, our latest campaign for Clutch Bags.

24*7 –The city has a lot to offer in the day but it also has  the same amount of activities to offer in the night.  Such is this wonderful city of New York! ‘The city that never sleeps’ functions 24*7 with full capacity. From the public transport to a chain of local restaurants, this city truly never lets you fall asleep.

Clutch Made We Are Hiring

Now that we have convinced you how amazing it is to live in New York, come work with us at Clutch Made and make this beautifully versatile city your home. We are looking for young and talented individuals in the field of Product Development and Marketing with the following requirements:
Good verbal and written communication skills, excellent organizational skills, knowledge of studio software (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Excel, Word & Social Media), ability to meet deadlines in a high-energy environment. Creative yet meticulous attention to detail. Problem-solving skills.

If you think you are a perfect fit to the above mentioned skills, send us your cvs at keziah@clutchmade.com and let your deam come true!

Clutch Made Client Aurelia Garza talks about Manufacturing in America!

Linking her namesake and heritage with a passion

for travel and art, 

Aurelia Garza breathes a balance of feminine strength

and architectural grace into her handbag designs.

Aurelia Garza for Clutch Made

Having been inspired by her travels in Europe, Aurelia moved to New York City to focus her interests on interior design.  Aurelia’s experience in interior design lends itself as the perfect foundation for her to meld modern chic style with classic sensible taste.

Participating in a trunk show this weekend in Texas, Aurelia Garza opens up to Clutch Made about her journey so far as a hand bag designer.

Aurelia Garza for Clutch Made

Clutch Made: A balance of feminine strength and architectural grace, tell us a little more about Aurelia Garza?
Aurelia Garza: The brand mission is to design bags women will love and wear day and night over and over again. To design bags that will become women’s  go-to bag for them to take anywhere they go, whether they are shopping, working, running errands or having fun.   Aurelia Garza bags are designed and styled to always help women look presentable and polished.

Aurelia Garza for Clutch Made

Clutch Made: How does Aurelia Garza as a brand stand out from  other American based brands?
Aurelia Garza: The spirit of the brand is to offer an accessory that adapts to all life style situations, to be prepared  for any event while looking your best.  I haven’t seen that kind of spirit in any American brand thus far.
Aurelia Garza

Clutch Made: How are you trying to incorporate the European aesthetics in a locally made in NYC brand?
Aurelia Garza: Europe is timeless, it never goes out of style and we want the same in our bags, to be timeless, elegant and classical but with the  unstoppable energy of New York.  New York women are always on the go, they never seem to stop. They go from work, to running errands and then to dinner with friends.  We want to create bags fit for the lifestyle of those women.  The women that never stop,  just like New York City!


Clutch Made: How has the experience using the services of styling, photographing and manufacturing with Clutch Made been?
Aurelia Garza: I am a new designer and Clutch Made has made the process of bringing my designs into a reality quite easy. They have been very helpful and working with them has been a real learning experience.

Clutch Made branding and Styling for Aurelia Garza

Clutch Made: What is the strong belief behind the ideology of manufacturing in USA?
Aurelia Garza: The idea behind manufacturing in the U.S. is to support local economy and create more jobs. Also when you live close to where the manufacturing of your product is happening, there is more quality control and easier communication between the designer and the manufacturer. If anything goes wrong it can be fixed faster and the lead time becomes shorter. Plus we are proud to say our product is made here in the states and nowhere else!
Aurelia Garza for Clutch Made

Clutch Made: Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?
Aurelia Garza: In 5 years I see the Aurelia Garza brand in department stores across the U.S.

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

Manufacturing in USA, free consultation!

Free consultation at www.clutchmade.com

FREE CONSULTATION!!!!

As one of the busiest metropolitan cities  in the world, New York City boasts about their continuous increment in the number of budding young entrepreneurs. We currently live in a time frame where there seem to exist  no boundaries when it comes to building a profession. With the boom of internet, every young graduate school dreams of starting a new business, aiming to become a CEO in a span of 5 years. Long lived those days where the position of a manager would be filled by people with grey hair.   Some of the biggest and most successful fashion ideas have turned into phenomenon like Nasty Gal, and The Blonde Salad  which have been initiated by young talents in their 20’s.

Sophia Amoruso

Sophia Amoruso

With self-built empires, come major responsibilities which end up testing one’s time management skills. With a very limited capital and not a major scope to employ an army of professionals to run help you run your business, young entrepreneurs start losing interest in their newly built business and start withdrawing or dropping out. This is the part where we can come in handy!

Free consultation at www.clutchmade.com

Clutch Made provides not one but ten services to help you make your dream into a reality. From manufacturing to social media support, we know how to nurture a sapling into a full grown tree. Not only do we help provide a third perspective to your business but also help you make your connections stronger with your clientele. By providing an outsider’s point of view, you also get a taste of what might be  the likes and dislikes of your client and help you narrow your target market. While we support your brand, you get the opportunity to sit and analyze on future prospects for your brand to turn into something major!

Free consultation at www.clutchmade.com

Our free consultation is a quick 5 mins procedure from your end and we get back immediately in the span of 48 hours with a detailed analysis of how we can help you and your brand. There’s nothing to lose, ITS FREE! Grab this chance, New York doesn’t offer a lot of free opportunities as such 😉

Photography by Clutch Made.

Clutch Made: Women Empowerment

There used to be a time, when women were openly made to realize their worth was less than men. From blatant advertising about degrading women, to the constricted norms in the society, women weren’t considered equal to men.

Women Degradation Ads in the past

Women Degradation Ads in the past

The infamous TV series ‘Mad Men‘, not only formed a platform for some of the best American fashion representation in the 1960’s but also shows the pre-feminist era. Apart from the vast differences in the salaries between the two sexes, the show also focused on a structured and restricted lifestyle of a woman in the field of advertising in comparison to a man.

The infamous Mad Men cast

The infamous Mad Men

Things have definitely changed over the course of time. Now the term ‘Feminist’ has been altered, has evolved and possibly trended more than Kim Kardashian’s butt on Twitter. Feminism is a movement where women demand to be treated, paid and considered equal to men. From Beyonce making anthems about women empowerment to social campaigns using Femvertising to promote the equality of sexes, women have come a long way in the past few years. This shift in the society became significant with the rise of certain women role models in all the fields of business and art.  From Oprah Winfrey changing the face of television, to singers like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Beyonce ruling over the music industry, we are now living in a matriarchal society.

2014 MTV Video Music Awards - Show

Beyonce 2014 MTV Video Music Awards Performance

Fashion is definitely one of the most effected industries due to the boom of women empowerment. From luxury brands like Céline, Prada, Stella McCartney, Chanel promoting the independent woman of tomorrow, to different fast fashion chains like American Apparel, H&M and Zara making young strong women their core clientele, Feminism has become a concept every woman currently wants to be identified with.

Women Empowerment

With every segment of the society succumbing to Feminism, the most recent impact has been in the field of politics. With Hilary Clinton running in the Presidential Election of 2016, she is on her way to make history. Clinton released the video and formally announced her candidacy on April 12, 2015.  She stated that, “Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion.” With masses constantly wondering if it really is it time for a change? Clutch Made women empowerment believes strongly that it is!

Hilary 2016

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.

New York City Fashion Week

New York City Fashion Week

NEW YORK CITY FASHION WEEK

New York City fashion week has once again left its inspirational energy upon New York City. The week was a visual feast of fashion portraits on the streets.  The boost of creative inspiration rocks your world in such a good way, that it stimulates you to run home, throw open your closet doors and start reinventing your wardrobe. Continue reading →

New York Street Style #5

 
New York Street Style #5

 

            NEW YORK STREET STYLE

New York Street Style has to be one of the most sought after styles of  fashion  in the world.  And yet, no one even thinks of NYC in these “branding” terms.  As a New York City Stylist for 20 years and a handbag designer for 15 years, I can decisively say that the fashion street inspiration you see in NYC  is definitely a sought after style of fashion around the globe. Continue reading →