Breaking Into and Suceeding as Handbag Designer, Start Handbag Business

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Handbag Designer
Purse Wallet Tote Bag Designer

Breaking Into and Succeeding as a Handbag Purse Wallet Tote Bag Designer
Starting a Handbag Purse Wallet Tote Bag Line

Everybody carries a bag, all kinds of bag. Affordable ones; expensive ones, big, small; seasonal, classic; new, vintage. If you think only women carry a bag, think again. What do you call the black thing that your boyfriend slings over his shoulder to carry his laptop? Laptop carrying case, of course, which is actually a laptop “bag.”

Children always carry their books and learning essentials in backpacks with Disney characters on them. Shoppers have those cute shopping totes with their favorite stores’ logos on them. Now cell phones have their own cases as well. Oh, iPods, too.

Of course, the two basic skills that you need to have as a handbag designer are definitely design skills and business skills. While the former sounds more important than the latter, it’s actually the other way around. Design skills only comprise of 20% of a designer’s success, while the determining factors are actually the business skills (80%). If you have a slightly above-average design for your handbag, but with strong business skills, it can be a big hit.

Authenticity is key. Of course, you don’t need to invent the wheel, just be original, innovative and unique with your designs. Now if you think you’re not that creative to break into and succeed as a handbag designer, think again.

Unconvinced? Have you ever seen those backpacks, box purses made of recycled cigar boxes and plain leather handbags that sell like hot cakes, but they’re actually not so creative designwise? Those are “classic” designs, which usually sell very well but don’t require super-creativity.

Another advantage of being a handbag designer is that you don’t need to worry about seasonal trends, unlike apparel designs that change every season. You still keep (or even carry it everyday to work) that Hermes handbag you bought two years ago, right?

It seems to have that timeless appeal and complement most outfits. Your designs can be like that too. You can choose to design bags that can be worn over and over again. From business point of you, it means you don’t need to worry about producing new items before the old ones are sold out.

If the notion of designing, sewing, manufacturing and promoting your own handbag line sounds intimidating, there are “industry secret” forces to help you out:

• Contract technical designers (they turn your ideas into technical patterns and prototypes)
• Contract manufacturers (send them your design and measurements, they will manufacturer it for you)
• Sales representatives and distributors (they help finding retailers to carry your products)
• Fashion weeks and trade shows (they help you getting exposure to buyers and fellow designers)
• Fashion publicists (these specialists can help you getting the media exposure needed in market penetration)

With those professionals helping you out all the way from inception to distribution, all you need is some creative juices and unique ideas that distinguish your designing style from the rest of the crowd.

As a handbag designer, you have the choice to design the following items using a variety of raw materials, such as leather, fabric, plastic, wood and their combinations:

• Evening Bag
• Embellished Purse
• Leather Purse
• Fabric Purse
• Box Purse
• Leather Wallet
• Tote Bag
• Cosmetics Bag
• Sports Bag
• Laptop Carrying Bag
• Travel Bag
• Backpack
• Beach Bag

In a nutshell, if you have the drive to succeed and somewhat creative (no need to be “super creative”), you’re very likely to succeed in this career. Of course, as a designer you need to continuously upgrading your skills and network with like-minded people, which can be really fun.

As it goes without saying, as a handbag designer, you can enjoy:

• The privileges of being a part of the glamorous, exciting and highly lucrative fashion industry
• Working closely with professionals that fuel the whole industry
• Earning anywhere from $30,000+ to millions of dollars annually

Do you know?

• Luxury goods produced $525 billion in sales in the United States
• 44% of women aged 13 and over bought a purse for themselves or for someone else
• On average, women bought 3 handbags per year
• On average, women own 6 handbags, younger women own fewer than 6 and older women own more
• 40% of women over 55 own 7 or more handbags, the highest ownership of all age segments
• Amount spent for a handbag ranges from about $40 to $65
• Women are reported spending $42, on average, for their most recent handbag and $54, on average, for the bag they carry most often
• Upscale handbag buyers or those willing to spend $150 or more for a handbag, represent about one in ten of those women who purchased a handbag in the past year
• Coach makes about $1.4 billion in sales a year
• Vuitton is responsible for 25% of LVMH’s $13.5 billion revenues

Jennie S. Bev, StyleCareer.com CEO, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief has been featured and cited worldwide for her unique take on fashion, image, beauty, entertainment, art, and fun careers and start-ups and for her humanitarian works and activisms. She is known as an authority in these fields of business. Since 2003, StyleCareer.com has literally helped thousands of new entrepreneurs starting their businesses with confidence.

We have been cited and profiled in Entrepreneur, Teen People,  San Francisco Chronicle, Radio Singapore International, Home Business, Canadian Business, The Independent, The Arizona Republic, The Daily Southtown, The Record, Tracy Press, Audrey, FabSugar.com, About.com, Choice Explorer, Dong, Fit, Femina, Dewi, Intisari, Tempo, Fit, Chic, Kartini, Nyata, Bisnis Kita, and many other US and international publications since 2003. We were also nominated for EPPIE Award for excellence in electronic publishing for non-fiction how-to category.

Among StyleCareer.com readers and our consulting clients include A-list celebrities and professionals.

In a meeting at The W Hotel in Manhattan, NYC
during The Fashion Week in Fall 2005,
John Casablancas said, “Jennie is the queen of research.”

In a phone call, Laila Ali McClain praised our ebook,
“Your ebook is well-researched, very useful.”

Interview with Entrepreneur in an article “Putting on the Glitz: Dreaming of Starting a Glamorous Business?”
Interview with Canadian Business in an article “Mad Money: Five Ways to Have Some Real Fun with Your Disposable Income”
Review by FabSugar.com in “Fab Site: StyleCareer.com”

This 84-page instantly downloadable StyleCareer.com eGuide Breaking Into and Succeeding as a Handbag Designer brings you valuable insider tips, advice and suggestions not available elsewhere to help you embark on this highly lucrative career path.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Myths, The Realities, and the Basics
The Myths
The Realities
The Basics
Is This for Me?
Benefits of Being a Handbag Designer

Introduction to Handbag Industry
History of Handbag Design
The Industry
Top Sales
Top Players

Industry Trends
Custom and Signature Brands (and Their Knockoffs)
Trends
Keeping Up with Trends
Examples of Current Trends
Niche Markets
Branding
Trademarks
Copyrights

Terminologies
Handbag Styles
Other Lingoes
Fashion Season
Fashion Week
Product Lines
Custom Design
Specialty Design

Skills of the Trade
Visual Synthesizing
Drawing
Computer-Assisted Drawing
Color Selecting
Materials Selecting
Budgeting
Pattern-making
Sewing
Making Prototypes (“Creating Dies”)
Schools and Trainings
Distance Learning
Books and DVDs

Starting Your Own Handbag Line
Outsourcing the Manufacturing
Materials Suppliers
Promoting Your Line
Publicity
Trade Shows and Fashion Weeks
Get Listed in Merchandiser Marts
Buyer’s Open Calls
Sales Representative

Being Successful
Success Traits
Communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Professionalism
Integrity
Networking
Learning from Pros
Trade Associations
Trade Research
Online Resources
Trade Magazines
Employment Resources
Entrepreneur Organizations

Success Profiles
This eGuide literally saves you hundreds or even thousands of dollars spent on professional workshops and training and hundreds of hours of research. It will help you break into the career of your dream faster without having to repeat the same mistakes that most newcomers do.

This eGuide also includes information on:

How to approach a representative
Participating in fashion weeks and trade shows
List of vendors, manufacturers, wholesalers and suppliers
List of workshops and classes that teach how to design handbags (including leather bags)
List of handbag design schools in Italy, France, Spain and U.K., which are renowned for outstanding courses in the industry

Act Now!
You can have this exclusive ebook for just $32.99, which you will earn many times over with your first sale.

Price Only: $32.99
This price is reserved for today Thursday, May 17th, 2012

Updated December 2011