EVENING BAGS from Clutch NY

The Evening Bags from Clutch Bags NY are the newest edition to the Clutch NY family of leather handbags and purses.  Made in New York City, this little evening clutch is an heirloom accessory to any woman’s world, be it for a wedding, a bride, a bridesmaid or as  the most special little bag for any evening event.

When I was designing this little clutch, I kept thinking of what inspires me. Most of my inspiration for designing clutch bags comes from vintage bags.  I feel that vintage bags have the details and are made from the fabrications that just always seem to make them the perfect little bag! Especially when it comes to  a clutch.  So for this bag, I kept thinking of something that a bride might want to carry.  When I was getting ready to be married a year ago, I was a little lost when I got to the bridal bag for myself.   Imagine me?  The handbag designer lady?  Lost for a clutch bag?  Yes, I am afraid this is true.  I kept thinking how great it would have been if I had designed a bag for my own wedding and I imagined what that bag would be.  In the meantime, I reached into my vintage bag collection and found a sweet little beaded number that I had purchased at my favorite thrift shop in Connecticut.  It was perfect!  The perfect little unobtrusive size, 4″ x 7″.  Now, that is the key word here: an unobtrusive, small accessory.

So, as my design process began, the size and feel was the most important aspect.  How can you carry this bag?  Is it soft to the touch?  Is it small enough to squeeze in one palm?  Can I carry my phone, lipstick and a credit card if need be?  Will it fit unobtrusively on a table……there is that word again, unobtrusive.   What materials should I use for  little evening bags?  Does it need a special little bejeweled accent?  What makes my evening bags so special?

To fill you in a little bit more on my designing secrets, I had a random lunch one day with a jewelry designer for Pamela Love.  We got in a discussion about having little custom made pieces made, and of course I was off and running in my head about what that piece could be and how it would come to life with the help of a jewelry designer. Through that idea and my random lunch date, I have now become tapped into jewelry designers in NYC, which is a marvelous thing!  I aspire to have my own custom made hardware and accents for my handbags, all made right here in New York City!

So I digress.  Let me get back to what makes my little evening bags so special that a bride would want to carry it.  Well, low and behold, one of my leather reps called me and told me they had this beautiful printed lambskin from Italy that they wanted me to see, and they sent me a large swatch. I fell in love!  Here was this gorgeous skin with this amazing print, all produced in leather!  Lambskin to top it off!  So I thought to myself, I do not need a little bejeweled piece at the moment.  No, this lambskin suffices perfectly.

So, I brought the skin to one of my fantastic handbag makers and we went over what I was looking to design.  I picked up a gold foil and silver foil lambskins to match for the interior lining.  My thoughts are this:  if you have a lovely purse on the outside and it feels terrific, don’t you want to continue that same luxury to the inside?  Isn’t that where you are always reaching with your hands?

What ended up being manufactured are lovely little heirloom evening bags from Clutch Bags NY.  I highly recommend these evening bags to any woman looking for something very special and sweet.  It is designed with much inspiration.  And it is, of course, Made in the USA.

Remember to Keep it Clutch!

Enjoy your day-

Laura Dotolo

clutchbags.com