A Handmade Designs
The Birth of a new brand
Alicia Dakteris‘ designs were born out of the need to have a practical handbag solution for international travel as well as something nice for stepping out to dinner – a combination handbag for both business and pleasure. Her experience as an Advertising Art Director propelled her to jump into her first design.
Made for the modern woman looking for the highest quality product at the best price, Alicia’s handbags are handcrafted locally in Los Angeles, with Italian leather and premium hardware.
Founders story
“As a designer, I thought designing a handbag would be great fun… selecting the finest leather in wonderful colors and textures; then, finding the perfect premium hardware to match. Sorting through hundreds of clasps, chains and zippers is always my favorite part! My first handbag was The Sack, a large bag with interchangeable straps that could carry a 15″ computer and my wallet and any last minute purchases before boarding a plane.”
“I believe that practicality and quality go hand in hand with a well-handcrafted product. All my purses are manufactured in Los Angeles so I can personally ensure the highest quality in each one of them.”
What motivated her to start?
I was traveling a lot to Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America for business, and I needed a practical purse to carry my computer, presentation books, a jacket when I needed it, etc. When I couldn’t find what I needed, I took the decision to design my own bag. It started as a hobby, but it became 100% my concentration when I started to design several bags for different purposes, such as small travel bags, totes, messenger bags, etc.
Some of the handbags were designed for women who have neck and shoulder problems or the tendency to carry a laptop or “too much”. I use a 2” wide and 55” adjustable strap which gives an ergonomic feeling to the neck and shoulder, while keeping your hands free if needed, and it’s easy to be removed or to secure. This feature is perfect for business or travel.
The challenges the business / market is facing
Our brand is relatively new, only five years old and it took all these years to create a trusted brand name while competing with top brand names, most of them manufacture their products overseas paying lower costs. For us, it was important to produce our handbags in the USA and give back to our country and be able to ensure the quality.
Our choice is to manufacture high quality Italian leather, while competing with few brands who choose “vegan leather” or PVC, which creates pollution, and have a short life creating more pollution. “For me it is important to have our bags and accessories handmade in the USA, paying fair salaries and using quality leather that will last forever”. This makes it difficult to be price competitive.
We also don’t have the advertising budget as larger brands do and are able to afford. For that reason, we must be “creative” with our strategy and the need to use different platforms to find our customers and to present our products.
Other ways to meet new customers and place our name in the Fashion industry is participating in Fashion Shows where we can show our handbags; that helps to build our brand name, but sometimes they are costly. In any case it’s a great way to share my vision, meet other Designers and people in this creative industry.
Opportunities
Our clients are usually smart and practical women looking for a quality product and want to support small business women. Most of our clients don’t particularly care about using high-end brands that many people don’t even know if their bags are fake or real. They just care for quality products that will last. When they discover our brand, some of them come back for newer designs, and that makes us very grateful and happy.
Advice to others about business
If you have a dream to create your own product or start a new business, there are many business coaches, podcasts, and guidance online. Listen to what is positive and move away from negative comments. If you are a woman, there are many wonderful women communities on Instagram or Facebook, join them.
To know more about us:
In today's world, people's eating and exercise patterns have changed, and it is often lifestyle that is the cause of many diet-related illnesses. I believe that each of us is unique – what works for one does not help another. What is more, it can even be harmful. I am interested in food psychology, which studies a person's relationship with their body and food, explains our choices and desires for specific products, the difficulty of maintaining optimal body weight, as well as the influence of various internal and external factors on appetite. I'm also an avid vintage car collector, and currently, I'm working on my 1993 W124 Mercedes. You may have stumbled upon articles I have been featured in, for example, in Cosmopolitan, Elle, Grazia, Women's Health, The Guardian, and others.
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