So I have to get across I have to get across very quickly , the feeling of it . Obviously , I need to know every product , I need to understand it . I need to know the color , the name . I immediately show signs of wear . I need to do that very transparently . I just talk . I mean , you can leave me in a room on my own and I will talk for hours .
Speaker 2Hi and welcome to Handbag Designer 101 , the podcast with your host , emily Blumenthal . Hi and welcome to Handbag Designer 101 , the podcast with your host , emily Blumenthal , handbag industry expert and the handbag fairy godmother . Each week , we uncover the stories behind the handbags we love , from the iconic brands and top designers to the creativity , craftsmanship and culture that define the handbag world . Whether you're a designer , collector or simply passionate about handbags , this is your front row seat to it all . Welcome , evie Amory of Evie's Pre-Loved . I'm so excited to have you on the podcast , welcome , welcome .
Speaker 1Thank you , emily , and I've been very excited to be chatting with you as well .
Speaker 2Yes .
Speaker 1And , as you know , americans love an accent , so you are not here . Where are you based , evie ?
Speaker 2I'm based in London , so I'm actually in North London , and it's quite funny you say that because I love the American accent . Oh good God , so excited to learn that you are one of the key people now within the circular economy . Can you talk a little bit about what Evie's Pre-Loved is and what it's about ?
Speaker 1Yes , thank
you , and that's very kindly to say so . Evie's Pre-Loved is a luxury assignment business . We specialize in pre-loved designer luxury bags from the likes of Marbury , chanel , fendi . Luxury bags from the likes of Marbury , chanel , fendi , hermes , dior , saint Laurent . I'm in handbag heaven . To be really honest , I absolutely love what I do , but , importantly for me , it's about sustainability , and I feel every bag has its own little journey , and once it's finished its journey with one person , why shouldn't it continue on with someone else ?
Speaker 2Exactly . I couldn't agree more . Are you able , just because this is you know , not only to have a brand and a business on pre-loved , high-end luxury bags , which is very difficult to do . You also need to become a trusted source from the people of which you get those bags , from the people of which you get those bags , how did you develop this affinity and then build into this brand and then recognize that there was actually a full-on market ? Because I suppose when you started , the desire and the constant need probably didn't exist the way it does now .
Speaker 1Well , I've always worked in fashion and I grew up in Brighton , so I don't know if you know Brighton . I do . It's a really cool , eclectic little place and funny enough . Years and years ago , the very first shop that I came across it was called Names and it was near the lanes actually in Brighton and it was we call it pre-loved , but then it was secondhand and I always used to be curious walking past this shop and I've got to be honest with you , it was not a la mode at that point to be buying that . It wasn't it to be buying other people's clothes and bags and in a way you know there was , unfortunately , I have to say , there was some type of snob value to that . You'd think , 100% , why would I be doing that ? And is it going to be clean ? And and you know what's it going to be clean and you know what's it going to be like . So I was always slightly curious about it . But bags I was always passionate about . And to come back to your question , how did I fall into this ?
Speaker 1Since 2012 , I've been a television presenter , guest presenter at QVC , and if you know , and I'm sure you do freelance work , you never know when you're going to be working . You know you literally wake up in the morning and there'll be an email Can you get in in two hours time to do it , or you might not hear anything for a couple of weeks . And in the end I was going crazy , thinking I love what I do , but I need to have some type of control on what I'm doing myself and I am a huge huge , I'd say . I have a curiosity to tarot . So there's somebody in particular that I listened to . I love him .
Speaker 1He's based in the States and he was always saying you got to start a side hustler , what's your side hustle ? And then you can sort of leave your main job once your side hustle is working . So I thought what can I do on the side ? That's not going to impact on the fact that I can be available in an hour's time if QVC need me . So I thought , right , I've got a following already because I've been a television presenter there for a fashion brand and I had a nice sort of following on Facebook and Instagram and I somehow put it out there that I was doing this . I'd had my own bags anyway , that I'd been sourcing and collecting during the pandemic , and after the pandemic I went off to a fantastic place called Goodwood Revival with my husband , had a little trestle table literally a trestle table with a black velvet covering on it and I sold all the bags and I thought this is good .
Speaker 2There must be a bit of a market here
. Did you know how to mark them up like ? Did you know how to price them ?
Speaker 1Yes , I was doing my research and looking and I also , you know , was thinking , okay , what have I paid ? What's the market value , what's realistic ? But I have to say , at Goodwood Revival the ladies were so delighted with this little selection and the prices didn't seem to be an issue . So I think I'd actually really done the research , okay , and they were being sold , you know , at the right price point . So after that , the little following that I had , I sort of put it out there , started to talk about what I was doing , word of mouth , literally . You know , no advertising at that point , it was just me marketing myself .
Speaker 1But then I love to talk , is probably your guess , so I chat anywhere . In fact my kids hate going out with me because it can take quite a long time if I stop and I start to talk . I've always got a business card and I'll always talk about bags , so it's right , right , all from there , really , and obviously pre-loved was really pushing itself up to the fore sustainability , this whole desire to actually wear pieces that actually somebody didn't want anymore and was going to be stopping that sort of that huge wave of waste . You know the waste is massive . So it was sort of this turn of event and it just sometimes , when something is meant to be , you don't have to work too hard at it . I've had so many different times where I've knocked on the door it won't open and I've pushed and , pushed and pushed and been really stubborn and it still won't open . But with this it flowed and luckily it continues to flow .
Speaker 2Yeah , so , oh , my God , this is so exciting . I could talk about this all day . I'm chatty too . I had my seat moved all through elementary school purely for being disruptive , where it says talk successively in class , so I'm here for it . So the first bags you had you said were yours right ? Yes , have a pretty good idea just within the States how the real , real works and other sites or enterprises like that and the amount of people that they hire to connect with other people who would have those bags to sell , get rid of , offload , the whole thing like that's a full time job . They have those jobs posted all the time and then an appraiser and then , especially like with entropy and lawsuits that go with everybody . Now , how are you able and clearly , because it's you and you're already trusted and validated how are you able to find more inventory ? How did that work ?
Speaker 1You know , every week I say to my husband oh my gosh , what happens if nothing comes next week ? It just comes . You know , sometimes I think it's with the universe sort of looking down and it's a case of I have have , luckily , I've got a really loyal following . Buyers become sellers , sellers become buyers . Once you start to sell , it can be a little bit addictive and then you think , oh my gosh , what else am I not using that ? I can get some more money , for people tell their friends I have a television commercial as well that fell out of nowhere . That was basically a client of mine and I said you know what you do . You should all I actually do television commercials , and I was like where does it ?
Speaker 1air . It airs across different platforms um sky , so different channels on sky . So I did that last year , which was quite fun . I really really do a lot on Instagram , so it it's word of mouth . Our reviews are great . Thankfully , it keeps coming and I'm just very grateful that it does so every time I get new items like I had a Mulberry delivery this morning and it's so exciting just to go through them all , so it's really a joy . I always find you've got to . I've always said actually not find you need to do something that you love , because for me it's a 24 seven job . It's not a case of nine to five , but when you really do something , it becomes your life in a way . So it's not , it's not actual work . It's what I enjoy to do , Although I know I'm a little bit of a workaholic .
Speaker 2Oh well , you know , I think once you're a mom of multiples , that just becomes part of your day in and day out life . Like I can't sit still , because once you sit still , your mind starts to think I should be doing something else . What am I not doing ? There's more things I can do . I think that's just by default , how we are , by function . How long and how much inventory do you keep at a time Like with your social following ? Hi , I've got this new bag . Here's what it is . I mean , because you're so seasoned on QVC going on Instagram , it's essentially your private channel . How are you able to start integrating
in like ? Okay , now I have these bags . How do you go into the unique selling ?
Speaker 1points of each one , I have to say . I mean , I'm on stories all the time and I'm daily doing content .
Speaker 1I think I've been trained and I do think QVC are amazing at training I speak to someone as if , in a way , they can't see it . So I have to get across . I have to get across very quickly the feeling of it . Obviously , I need to know every product , I need to understand it . I need to know the color , the name . I immediately show signs of where need to do that very transparently . I just talk . I mean , you can leave me in a room on my own and I will talk for hours .
Speaker 1I see you , I get that it's lovely to talk and share about it and maybe I don't know , I just connect with them .
Speaker 2So you know , based on what's going on in the market , are you able to touch upon trends or see that , okay , everybody's trying to offload these bags , so clearly the interest is waning . How do you see trends and handle it ? Or is it just product comes and it comes and you sell it ? I know at this point you must be discerning .
Speaker 1It is a case of products come and then I sell it . The only way that I can say I'm discerning to how I was in the beginning is I really find that because the items are photographed for the website , they need to photograph well . So I'm now more discerning to the quality of the wear . I mean , obviously pre-loved is lovely , but there can be more love in some pre-loved yeah , yeah Than others . And I'll also be very transparent to say to someone if you are someone that minds marks or scuffs , don't buy it . You know , maybe pre-loved is not for you . Or it could be a pre-loved bag that's been bought and left in its box and hasn't got any signs of wear . Then that's your pre-loved , that's fine , right , right , right right .
Speaker 1But I am , I'm definitely more discerning with the quality and especially if there is discoloration and I know that that's going to be a problem and , you know , translate in a negative way on the website . I won't take certain things on now and the only way I'll do something and I've done it a few times is not for the website . I call it a project bag . You know , sometimes project bag , that's an amazing Birkin , but it's really . You know , it's had a lot of love , but some people don't mind that because they want to have the Birkin . So yeah , way I might do a few project ones which tend to be more for the Instagrams as opposed to on the website .
Speaker 2Yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah . No , that totally makes sense . If you ever wanted to start a handbag brand and didn't know where to start , this is for you . If you had dreams of becoming a handbag designer but aren't trained in design , this is for you . If you have a handbag brand and need strategy and direction , this is for you . I'm Emily Blumenthal , handbag designer expert and handbag fairy godmother , and this is the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass . Over the next 10 classes , I will break down everything you need to know to make , manufacture and market a handbag brand . Broken down to ensure that you will not only skip steps in the handbag building process , but also to save money to avoid the learning curve of costly mistakes process . But also to save money to avoid the learning curve of costly mistakes .
Speaker 2For the past 20 years , I've been teaching at the top fashion universities in New York City , wrote the Handbag Designer Bible , founded the Handbag Awards and created the only Handbag Designer Podcast . I'm going to show you like I have countless brands to create in this in-depth course , from sketch to sample to sale , Whether you're just starting out and don't even know where to start or begin , or if you've had a brand and need some strategic direction . The Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass is just for you . So let's get started and you'll be the creator of the next it Bag .
Speaker 2Join me , Emily Blumenthal , in the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass . So be sure to sign up at emilyblumenthalcom slash masterclass and type in the code podcast to get 10% off your masterclass today . Have you seen trends in terms of which bags people because I'm sure , as a result of who you are , you must get requests like oh , I'm searching for this , I'm searching for that , especially
with all the tariffs and people saying that there will be , and has already started to be , a huge uptick in retail prices of , obviously , you know , I mean Chanel , forget it . Chanel's jumped like , I think , 200% in terms of prices , but Loewe right now is so hot and all of these bags that you know were really hot in the 2000s or the noughts are making a resurgence . Are you able to start pinpointing trends that you can actually see based on the bags that you're getting ?
Speaker 1No , not too much , I mean . I think also I have a certain demographic , my customers have a certain demographic . I don't think the majority of them are too trend-led In that way . I'm not seeing , oh , there's a certain trend as such . I know that there's always a demand for , let's say , the Fendi baguette bag and I don't think that's a trend . I just think that's sort of a mainstay . That said , there could have been something with Sex and the City whereby that might have pinged up and for a week that might have been the call-in Right , no-transcript , something of a boom . Well , there is a boom at the minute with the Louis Vuitton to Kashmir Akami collaboration , because obviously that was redone . So I have had a couple of like oh , I've got the multicolores in . There's a little bit of demand there . So sometimes that trend might be captured if it's just on the back of a release of the same designers currently versus when they first launched it .
Speaker 2Right . So it's funny that you mentioned the Chanel flap . I worked closely with Bloomingdale's a number of years ago when we were partnering with them with the Handbag Awards and one of the head of the fashion department , the DMM , had said to me and this was at Rebecca Minkoff's peak that she , referring to the customer with her first job , that she would spend her money on a Rebecca Minkoff morning after bag and as soon as she had a salary bump she would immediately go buy Chanel flap . That was what the trend was and I just saw a clip , because obviously we are all targeted that someone who was trying to see if they could justify spending $1,000 on a Chanel flap and then it showed over the years that went from $1,500 to $2,500 to now it's $10,000 for something that you know historically , years back could have been within a price point range , but you just couldn't justify it . So it's so interesting about how this market is going Right .
Speaker 1I listened to something that you said , which I found fascinating on a podcast and it was so true . I think you were talking to another Emily . I didn't think about that and I think it was . The question was about whether somebody would spend , let's say , $1,000 on a bag that's a designer that's not well known Versus I'm sure it was you , because I know I listened to this versus , let's say , a pre-loved luxury designer bag . Correct , all the way they do . They do do it . I see it myself . You know you've got that thousand dollars . What are you going to put it to ? And pretty much it's going to be a pre-loved , you know , correct .
Speaker 2Correct , no , Pre-loved , and that is just the reality . That , you know , unfortunately puts all of these designers in a challenging spot because they don't have the orders to then be able to have economies of scale to price their bags accordingly . Therefore , if they want to have a markup or margin , it's got to be either razor thin
or barely any . If they want to even get into the retail space , it's almost impossible . I want to talk a little bit about and I love that you brought this up your customer .
Speaker 2One of the biggest mistakes that so many designers and brands and people all together when starting a business is thinking they know their customer . And again , the designers I've worked with , the students I've taught , everybody thinks they're aspiring to this fabulous metropolitan city girl who is just , you know , having cocktails , living the big life , and she's just amazing . And I have had to educate and inspire and tell these desires . Go back and look at where your sales come from , Look at the zip codes where we're zip codes here , and then go back and look at the socioeconomics of that particular area and then see if that area has more than a Walmart , a church , a bar and a school and that people are essentially just buying it to make them feel good and to make them feel special , less so to be so impressive around you know as the gal on the town . So how are you able to recognize who she , he , they are amongst your customer demographic ?
Speaker 1So I feel where my USP is is . I have a very personal service that I offer . Effectively , you get me at the end of the call or the email . So on Instagram I have grown a community of now over 25,000 . Amazing Thank you with all of them .
Speaker 1So I pretty much know them now . I mean not all 25,000 , but whoever's buying , I know them by name . I am a chatty person . I get to know them so obviously through that I can ascertain their age , their family , things like that . So I understand that she's similar to me and I'm in my mid-50s , so give or take 10 years , let's say either way . So in essence , I know I feel I know pretty much who the customer is .
Speaker 1Interestingly , I look at other platforms and other people and I think on my website should I be having a younger lady ? Should I be having somebody who's in their 20s or 30s , or should it be me who is more of a mature lady ? Because that's the customer and I kept with me until I retire myself because it felt a little bit more authentic . But equally , I've learned to ask my audience what do you like ? Would you prefer to see somebody younger ? What do you want ?
Speaker 1So I feel I know who she is based on my communication with her , and that might well alter . It might well alter , but I'm not on TikTok at the minute , well , not hugely so . At the minute my platform is Instagram and and then below Instagram it's Facebook . So I think I've got a pretty good idea of who the customer is . But I continue to ask questions what would , what would you like to see ? Would you like to see more of this or or that ? And I've seen that from other very , very successful designers , vendors who engage with their community , because that's how you learn what they want and who they are most importantly , my God , I mean , that's so textbook , what is supposed to be done ?
Speaker 2We just touched upon scale . Do you think , or what you do , that it is a hindrance ? That essentially , it is all you and I know this personalized quality , you know that's amazing , I mean because I respond to everything and people typically are like oh my God , I can't believe it's you and I'm thinking who else is it going to be ? Do you think at some point for you to grow or are you content with this personalized one-on-one ?
Speaker 1I say it's all me . There's a team of five of us independently surrounding me , you know , who look after different elements of the business , but I am the face of the business . Yes , it may well be a hindrance because in a way , I've branded myself which is a double-edged sword . I think I did that based on the fact that I'm , to a degree I've had sort of I don't know 13 years now at QVC . So people do trust in the fact that they know who I am . I'm not some stranger in the corner of somewhere with their beautiful bags , right . I'm not some stranger in the corner of somewhere with their beautiful bags , right . There is a team behind me who have the administration element and the dispatches and all of that . But to front face , it is me .
Speaker 1Yes , I know I'm going to have to have another me . Definitely I couldn't cope with two of myself , but I do know there needs to be another me . But I'm also trusting that organically , it's going to happen with the right person . And it's taken a lot because I am a control freak . It's taken a lot for me to release the things I can release in terms of the packing and although I like to oversee that from a distance , but I have got a very patient young lady who works with me . So those elements I've managed to release , which is quite a big thing for a perfectionist Virgo ,
I'm guessing there . And sometimes I work with my lovely son , who did come into the business with me . He's my younger son . It was very challenging and now we work from a distance .
Speaker 2That's the safest way , real quick , before we wrap up . When you started this and I'm assuming this is the case , did you because personalization , the EV touch did you put in thank you notes ? Did you put in some sort of you know email , like what was the final touch that you felt encapsulated , this whole EVie's loved experience of purchasing Everybody ?
Speaker 1gets a handwritten note from me Everybody . Whether they can read it is another thing . My handwriting is horrific . You can get some antibiotics off it . To be fair , oh my God , Everybody has a handwritten note because I'm very old-fashioned in that . I think it's really important . I love sending cards and I wanted that to be a little bit of a standout point . So , yes , I will . You know , I'll send a little email if it's the first time , because I like to hear the journey . That's also very important . Did you find me through Instagram or a ?
Speaker 2commercial .
Speaker 1Or where did you find me ? But other than that , every single order I'd say pretty much I hope every single order will have a little personalized card from me , and actually I do have a really lovely little image of myself that was by an illustrator , so you'll see , it's , I'd like to say , a younger version of myself .
Speaker 2I think you're fabulous . I don't think anything needs to be younger , thank you . Thank you very much . Oh my goodness , evie , this has been an absolute delight . How can people find you , follow you and get their hands on an Evie Touched , pre-loved bag ?
Speaker 1Oh , thank you , I mean . I'd like to also point out , although we're based in UK , we ship everywhere , so we do . We love to ship across the pond as well . So , eviesprelovedcom you can actually visit the website and see a lovely selection , but definitely follow me on Instagram at Evies Preloved , we have ladies from the States , australia , all across Europe , so you can find me there and join our community .
Speaker 2And I just want to preface it's E-V-E-Y . That's Evie , that's because you're special , so this is fabulous . Thank you so much for joining us . Thank you for having me , emily . Thanks for listening . Don't forget to rate and review , and follow us on every single platform at Handbag Designer . Thanks so much . See you next time .