Tag Archives: Clutch Made USA

The USA Factory You Can Talk To

The USA Factory You Can Talk To

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Say goodbye to “Made in China” because “Made in the USA” is IT. Overseas manufacturing has always created communication problems. American Made products eliminate the inferior quality, high shipping costs, miscommunication and delivery time problems associated with far east production. So, how CAN you start manufacturing in the USA? Move over Captain America, Clutch Made is your new superhero. 

Who? Clutch Made is a modern e-factory that provides design and manufacturing services to small businesses and brands looking to source and produce in the USA. We specialize in sourcing the materials needed for us to manufacture  your handbags and accessories. The Clutch Made team works through every detail of our client’s product from the idea to the actual tangible sample and ensures the best service and highest quality of expertise. We are located in NYC with our factory in the heart of the garment district. We believe that COMMUNICATION is the key ingredient in modern manufacturing today. Clutch Made is the factory that you can easily talk to without hassle or any type of language barrier. 

Clutch Made's Mantra

Clutch Made’s Motto

How? The Clutch Made Team’s mission is to have open communication so we can make your products a reality. 

Here are 5 simple ways to talk to Clutch Made today:

  1. Our Website: On our websiteClutch Made, we offer a contact form that you can submit to us. It is one of the easiest and fastest ways to get in touch with us. When you submit your request, we promise to get back to you as soon as we can. We ensure quick response no longer than 48 hours after your submission. This is the best place to review all the services beyond sample and production at our factory. 
  2. Follow Us on Social Media: What? A factory that uses social media? Yes, Clutch Made stays active and current on all of our social media platforms. Check us out and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Message us on any of these platforms and we will be happy to contact you. 
  3. Email Us: Unsure about our services or your ideas? Email us directly at team@clutchmade.com with any questions and concerns that you may have. Our team communicates efficiently in and out of the office to ensure great communication standards. 
  4. Call Us: The easiest way to reach us is by phone. Contact us at 1.800.208.1840 and if we accidentally miss your call, just leave us a voice mail with your name, phone number, and reason for calling. We will call you back in less than 24 hours. 
  5. Find us on Maker’s Row: Maker’s Row is a platform that we use to connect with small businesses and brands interested in our manufacturing services. Make sure to check out our profile and the services that we provide including sourcing and manufacturing in the USA. 

Clutch Made is the USA factory that you can talk to; it’s that simple and it’s that easy. We are making the factory and manufacturing experience extremely accessible for you to do business. We truly believe that communication is the most important aspect of the process and promise to always be available at your convenience. We understand the challenges you face and we’ll work to rescue you from overseas production that delays communication. Contact us today and let us show you how easy it is to talk to a modern factory. 

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

Clutch Bags Accessories take over Apparel.

A firm believer of making a shift from the east to west in terms of craftsmanship, Laura Dotolo talks about the past, present and future of Clutch Bags accessories and making accessories with Clutch Made.

Clutch BagsClutch Bags NY commenced for a budding niche market that doesn’t get appealed by the boom of loud and gaudy designer bags. How has the journey of the brand been so far?
The journey so far has been very eye opening. Every day I discover a new   perspective about our brand and product through our overwhelming diverse clientele. Our varied consumers pay a lot of attention to quality, which helps us improve every day as a brand. This journey has been a complete experience so far.

The brand image of Clutch Bags NY  harps on the fact that it is a pure New York inspired outcome. How are you incorporating that in the designs or the aesthetics of the brand?
The brand revolves around the lifestyle of a fashion conscious individual living and breathing the city life of Manhattan. We have bags, which easily mold into every outfit that you plan to wear in the city, from a utilitarian mailbag that can be carried for work to a fancy little wedding bag that you can adorn to enjoy the evergreen nightlife of New York.

Clutch BagsThe designs reflect the importance of detailing and precision, what are your main sources of craftsmanship?
As I said earlier, our products are very quality oriented. That’s what our clients love about us. To keep our standards always high we import some of our hardware from Italy. The processing of leather is one of the key features for our detailed driven products that also make us unique and a step closer to luxury.

“Manufacturing in the USA made easy”. This statement is not very common amongst fashion brands in the states. Do you see yourself as making a shift from the traditional Europe and Asia craftsmanship
Yes, we definitely see ourselves as a brand making a change/shift in bringing craftsmanship back to USA. With time, renowned fashion brands have experienced the degradation of skilled artistry in the East. We as a brand would rather pay more for the labor and other factors behind the creation of our products than lower the quality. Manufacturing in the USA has become one of our strongest USP’s and we want to make it more concrete as the brand progresses.

Clutch Made USA Accessories

Clutch Made USA Accessories

A service provided under Clutch Bags called as “Clutch Made”. What is this initiative.
Clutch Made provides design and manufacturing services to individuals and brands looking to source and produce in the USA. We branch out to various young and upcoming designers through this service and help them make their brand stronger in terms of design, marketing and business. It also gives us a chance to work and experience what the budding talents have to offer to the fashion industry.

With the whole fashion world taking leaps in different and extreme directions, do you think consumers are going back to being primitive and shifting back to classic pieces?
I definitely see a massive shift in the concentration of accessories in comparison to apparel. Earlier accessories used to be an add on to what the main outfit was, whereas now people dress according to their accessories. They are playing the role of a canvas of style for an individual, on which you can paint or draw something new every day.

New York Street Style

Do you follow the current trends of Womenswear Accessories or do you follow your own principles?
I always follow my own principles. New York is like an undying source of trends and styles. By observing the styles adorned by different age groups, you can make out what is going to be coming in next season and what is not. For example, the age group from 15 to 19 years is always new and experimental. They are the age group that always brings this shift and change in every season.

 What qualities do you see in your Ideal client?
My ideal client is educated, urban, independent, well versed with fashion in terms of design and style and a woman who is always on the go. The most common quality amongst all my clients is that they always know what they want, very firm and decisive.

Commercial vs Contemporary? Your take.
Neither. Timeless, classic.

Clutch Made ServicesWhere do you see the brand in the next 5 years? Do you plan on expanding to other potential markets?
 As mentioned earlier, I want to expand and explore with Clutch Made in the span of 5 years. Clutch Made is a platform for us to work and collaborate with the new talent. As a brand we also see ourselves drawing inspirations and tapping the Asian and European market.

Clutch Made in USA


Clutch Made in USA

                     CLUTCH MADE

                                 in

                               USA

Clutch Made in USA is awesome stuff made in the USA by Clutch NY.  Clutch NY now manufactures a wide range of goods here in the USA for small businesses to large brands. We have begun to manufacture everything from handbags, wallets, belts, leather goods, to apparel and dresses, t-shirts, baby clothes, pet accessories, hair accessories and home goods. How did this happen? Continue reading