Handbag redux.
February 12, 2010
I haven’t ranted for more than a week now because I’ve been busy. I’m dusting off some old skills and having a good time doing it. I’m designing and making handbags. Yes, one of the many hats I’ve worn over the years was that of handbag designer/manufacturer.
It’s now March 17th and Kili and I have a website and a line of handbags. You can see them here Vagabond Handbags.
When I was 26 I was losing my ass in the motorcycle helmet wholesale business. The manufacturer was my very own father. He was one of the first two manufacturers to mold helmets from polycarbonate plastic, which meant his helmets were stronger and cheaper than fiberglass. He had ignored the motorcycle dealers in favor of selling to the large sporting goods wholesalers. I saw the potential, built a network of wholesalers, was making good money, became my father’s second largest customer in my first year, with a half million in volume. Soon my customers discovered my source… my dad… and one by one they began buying helmets from him. For the same price he was charging me. How stupid was that?
I was on my ass financially and looking for some way out. I woke up one morning with the idea of making leather belts. It was more than an idea, it was a certain knowledge that that was what I was going to do and that it would save me financially. Everyone thought I’d lost my mind.
Handbag from a used sail trimmed in leather
The year was 1972 and the hippy thing was hot, with bell bottom jeans and latigo leather belts and bags were huge. I’ll shorten the story… though there’s a lot to it. I made some sample belts, having never made a belt before in my life. Went to a trade show, established a crew of sales reps, added handbags to the mix and within one year had a $100,000 dollar month. It was frantic.
The heavy leather look died and I transitioned into soft leather bags, and cloth bags. One of my hottest lines was bags made from old blue jeans, lined with bandana. How hot? I was buying jeans from a rag dealer in Denver in 2,000 lb bales… one bale a week. My last collection was quilted burlap trimmed in soft leather. The returns were killing me. Burlap is not a tough material and won’t take the abuse women give a bag.
I had three great years and then the economy went very bad during the oil embargo of ‘75. I had bought an old line manufacturer in Newburgh New York and was commuting between Colorado Springs (where I had moved my factory from Olathe Kansas), and spread myself too thin, and grown too fast… etc. I was for a time one of the largest and hottest brands in the market. Applescraps was the name.
So the other day my daughter suggested I make handbags from used sails. It made sense to her since I am a sailor and once made handbags. It appealed to me because my creative itch has needed scratching and… speaking of scratch… I could use a little more of it.
My girlfriend lives in California – near L.A. – and although she would love to move to Mexico and join me on my boat she can’t just yet. So since she can’t come to Mexico I’m spending two-thirds of my time in California. I brought my portable sewing machine so I could begin making handbags, and on the way up from Mazatlan I stopped in Guymas to visit friends with a boat in the “marina seca” (dry marina) and while I was there I bought a used sail from the owner of the marina. He’s got lots of used sailing gear. It seems from time to time a gringo abandons his boat and never returns. So with sail and sewing machine in hand I arrived at Kili’s place and set up shop about the end of January.
The first thing I did was sell my sewing machine and buy a more powerful one. I got lucky and found a used Mitsubishi commercial walking foot machine with table, motor and a great articulating light, all within an hour of Kili’s house. The portable brought enough to cover the cost of its replacement. Within a week I was sewing on a machine very similar to the Juki of my younger days. Like riding a bicycle, it all comes back to you like it was yesterday.
Now I’m in the design process and I’ve come up with one I like. It can be a frustrating process but the reward is worth it. And, though I never have, nor do I intend to carry one, I enjoy making things that are functional.