Tag Archives: clutch made

Clutch Made: The New E-Factory

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Clutch Made: The New E-Factory

Who we are: Based in NYC, Clutch Made is a manufacturing and designer service platform for individuals and brands looking to source and produce in USA. We specialize in manufacturing and sourcing handbags and accessories. 

Why we do it: Laura Dotolo, principal and creator of Clutch Made, has been dedicated to her business for years. She says, “My experience styling for clients like Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, In Style and a bevy of similar fashion magazines has taught me that sometimes the trends being depicted are not what consumers really want over time.  By being able to shape the fashion trend of the moment in my styling career, I have learned how to help our clients tailor and develop products that have tremendous appeal in the marketplace. As a manufacturer myself of my own line of handbags, Clutch Bags I have learned the trade secrets in sourcing materials, designing products, and creating good profit margins. This has helped our clients return to us again and again with their manufacturing, design and product development needs. Made in USA pays!” 

Made in the USA really does pay off. We find that manufacturing in the garment district, here in New York City, is much easier than overseas production. Not only does it eliminate high shipping costs, but it eliminates communication and delivery problems as well. At Clutch Made, we take care of our clients manufacturing, production, and even inventory. We are dedicated to help clients sell their products in the marketplace. It’s a modern concept that this country is falling behind on. Manufacturing in the USA is back and Clutch Made has made it revolutionary. 

How we do it: Clutch Made is the modern e-factory. This new way of business and manufacturing is vital in todays digital world. No longer will it take you months and months to make one product. You won’t even have major communication problems. Clutch Made is available in various platforms in order to talk to you at any time. You can follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. You can also like our Facebook page and keep up with our daily posts. We are the factory that you can talk to without any hassles. You can reach us by email and telephone. It’s just that easy! Being able to contact our potential clients any time they need us is a very important factor in our business today. 

Clutch Made is changing the face of manufacturing! We are always looking for trends in the market and new clients to work with. Resurfacing Made in the USA is just as important as our new way of manufacturing. Seems to good to be true? Contact us today and reveal the truth of e-manufacturing. 

 

How to Make a Handbag in the USA: Step 5

How to Make a Handbag in the USA: Step 5 

So now that you have a good looking sample with all the bells and whistles that you designed, what’s next? What sets you apart from what’s on the market place right now? How is your customer going to find you? Who is your customer? Who are you? If you are keeping up with our posts, this week we discuss the fifth step on How to Make a Handbag in the USA. This step is all about branding and merchandising. When you reach this step we discuss who you are as a brand and how we can make your products unique enough to stand out. 

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Branding: The goal of branding is to create products with cohesive aesthetics and a point of view. You have to create a name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates your product from others. Branding gives you a competitive advantage and a promise to your customer that your product is better or more unique than your competitors. Your brand is then created from who YOU are and HOW you want people to perceive you. We will work with you to help establish your product and company as a recognizable brand. The Clutch Made team will help establish your product and company as a unique and recognizable brand associated with consistent quality. This involves a focused path to brand identity through consistent products and social media.

Merchandising: Merchandising your brand is part of the Clutch Made agency process. Not only does it involve putting your products on the market but you have to think about what pieces will collaborate best for your collection. What materials do you want to use? It is important to use materials that are hot in the market so that they are on target for buyers. Buyers want to see collections that are cohesive and trendy. What pieces of your collection do you want to show and can they go together? For example, a clutch can go well with a cross body, especially if they are made from the same leather and hardware. From extensive development and editing of your products, the Clutch Made team is alongside you in creating your unique brand.  

Tradeshow Representation: Now, is it time for you to get your product out on the market in front of buyers?  Are Trade Show costs too high for your budget?  Are you unsure of how to start the process? We will work with you to help promote the sale of goods, especially in retail outlets. We invite all of our clients to join us under the Clutch NY umbrella at the trade shows. This is one more way The Clutch Made team helps you to convert your ideas to real sales. Selling your product keeps your business viable and the dream alive. 

 

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Tradeshow

Tradeshow

Tradeshow

Once your brand is established and your merchandise is perfected, your products will flourish in the market! Buyers will love how spot on your handbag collection is with the trends and better yet, how well made they are. Stay with us next post to discover the sixth and FINAL step on How to Make a Handbag in the USA with the Clutch Made team. 

 

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.

We’re Hiring a Product Developer!

Product Development Position opening

Clutch Made is a Manhattan handbag manufacturer as well as a designer and manufacturer of all types of accessory products for brands big and small.  We are looking for a Product Developer with an entrepreneurial spirit and a can do attitude to work with our rapidly growing client base. Successful candidate will turn our client ideas into tech packs and samples, source and curate materials, consult with our factories, track costing data, oversee production and be the face of our brand with assigned client accounts.

Skills Required: 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.

Responsibilities:

  • PRODUCT DEVELOPEMENT:
    • Provide Clutch Made clients with the best sourcing options for their needs and budgets.
    • Research the market in which the product will be sold to find product trends and try to gain a competitive edge on other designs.
    • Source and curate all initial materials for projects and propose options to management.
    • Consult with factories to create prototypes and translate sketches into working spec sheets and tech packs to create samples.
    • Gather costing data to estimate production costs and update costing sheets on Excel.
    • Work with factories and suppliers to ensure the final samples are the best version of the client’s vision.
    • Ship samples to clients. Track shipments and create packing slips.
    • Take photos of projects and processes for social media handles.
  • PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT:
    • Efficient and timely production of goods at the factory and the shipping/delivery of those goods to the client.
    • Implement the production schedule, reviewing and adjusting it when necessary while at the same updating management team about changes.
    • Manage all the human and material resources necessary for manufacturing and ensure delivery to factories.
    • Monitor our factories, suppliers and vendors to maintain quality control and consistency of procedures to Clutch Made standards.
    • Update production calendar and project management software.
    • Develop efficient collaboration and co-ordination between relevant sources for production completion, including mills, printers, factories and management.

    Contact us Here to request an application.