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Rags to Riches: Local Handbag Designer Gives New Meaning to the Concept of Recycling. by Anonymous Mount Laurel, NJ March 26, 2004 -- Ever wonder where your old living room curtains go after you realize “that 70’s style” just isn’t working anymore? Since 1999, Mandy Bolis, a 27-year-old local handbag designer continues to build her business, mandy b. bags, by transforming vintage fabrics and textiles into funky fashion. Housecoats, tea towels, bedspreads, and sofas are no match for this environmentalist by day, handbag designer by night. Even cigar boxes have their place in the fashion world long after the smoke clears from last week’s poker night. The first mandy b. bag was made from scraps left over from a handmade skirt. Strangers began complimenting her on it in supermarkets and doctor’s offices. It wasn’t long before Mandy was selling her unique handbags on the web at www.mandybbags.com, a site she designed and maintains herself. Her online boutique offers a wide variety of affordable styles such as clutches, wrist bags, beach bags, and totes. Customers can either place a custom order or express their own creativity by utilizing the Design Your Own section of the online boutique. There, they can choose their favorite style and then browse through hundreds of fabrics to find one that catches their eye. Mandy has a knack for pleasing those of you who know exactly what you want in a handbag but can’t find in the department stores. All you have to do is give her a description of the size, shape, length of strap, number of pockets or cell phone compartment, etc. and she will make your dream bag a reality. Mandy also promotes her business by hosting handbag parties. She says, “It’s the modern gal’s version of the Tupperware Party.” Traveling to people’s homes, she fills living rooms with a quaint display of colorful bags pinned to a clothesline and several wicker laundry baskets full of vintage fabrics to choose from. The cost of her fabric bags range from as little as $25 for her two-tone zippered “Cosmetic Bag” and hand painted “Disco Bag” to $50 for her “Beach Bag” and “Tea Towel Bag”. The cost of her “Cigar Box Purses” ranges from $50 to $90, depending on the size and amount of decorative hardware. Mandy is currently designing a diaper bag that will satisfy the demand of fashionable mommies bored with the cutesy, juvenile ones found in department stores these days. The mandy b. diaper bag will feature sophisticated vintage fabrics, lots of pockets, and a matching changing pad. Future styles will likely include totes for wine and yoga mats, monogramming, and bags that display a customer’s favorite photograph, poem, or quote. Mandy acquires her fabrics from locations around the region, including antique stores, consignment and thrift shops, flea markets, estate sales, and even online auctions. Family members and friends have been known to occasionally send their own thrift store finds and unwanted textiles. Vintage handles, silk flowers, patches, and appliqués are a few of the special touches she often adds to her bags. Since vintage fabrics are usually found in small quantities, she says, a large portion of her bags are one of a kind. Mandy explains, “Women hate seeing “their” handbag on every arm in town. They want their own sense of style, their own identity.” As one of her happy customer says, “Every seam, snap, and pocket is finished off perfectly and professionally. Mandy's talents are second to none! She's made my decision easy....no more store-bought bags for me!” Brides-to-be have purchased mandy b. bags to give to their bridesmaids as gifts and one bride even had Mandy make a purse from the shawl that came with her wedding gown. The current mandy b. bags design studio resides in a spare bedroom that overlooks a typical suburban backyard, which is quite a step up from the original one. “It seems like just yesterday that I had my sewing machine and ironing board set up in the entryway of my one bedroom apartment.” Fondly referred to as her “one-chick sweatshop”, the new and improved studio consists of a sewing machine, cutting table, ironing board, and shelves upon shelves overflowing with supplies and fabrics. Eventually, Mandy would like to open up her own boutique and continue creating interesting accessories you won’t be able to find in any old department store. In the mean time, she plans to market her line of handbags to boutique owners that wish to offer unique, one-of-a-kind accessories to their customers. For additional information contact: Mandy Bolis Designer/Owner mandy b. bags 503 Foxwood Drive Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 Phone: 856.802.6275 http://www.mandybbags.com mandybbags@comcast.net This article courtesy of http://www.handbag4wholesale.com. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact. |
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