And it is vegetable tanned and hand-staided, which helps give that one-of-a-kind feel to each bag and has a batina that changes.
SPEAKER_01And what's batina? Just to be clear, I love to make sure everybody knows when they're listening. What's batina?
SPEAKER_00It's just the way that the leather softens and changes just over time with wear, but becomes more supple, has more character to it.
Hi, and welcome to Handbag Designer 101 the podcast with your host, Emily Blumenthal, handbag industry expert, and the handbag parry godmother. Each week we uncover the stories behind the handbags we love, from the iconic brands and top designers, 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, Lauren Reed of Lauren Reed Co. to Handbag Designer Oneon the podcast. You are one of our amazing group of hand-picked handbag designers that we'll be showing at New York now. We are so excited to have you. Welcome, welcome.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much for having me. I'm so genuinely thrilled to be having a conversation today. Your podcast has been so insightful and inspiring so far as I've built my brand.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's so nice to hear. That I did not know, and I'm going to carry that with me. So you were one of the designers that we found, we selected, and it's Lauren Reed, R-E-E-D co CO, period. So I just wanted to put that out there at the beginning. You have a very interesting background, and within our podcast, Handbag Designer 101 Podcast, you know, we have this really unique range of guests. We have established designers, we have industry, but at the core, independent designers are really who we are, what we're about, who we try to support. And discovery is a huge part of that. And I'm excited to have you part of this narrative because without people like you, I wouldn't have a podcast, you know?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, definitely. So interesting background.
About two years ago, I quit my corporate job with an intentional pivot to be more flexible in wanting to create a business alongside of a career.
SPEAKER_01Wait, why'd you quit? What was the vibe? What were you like? Like, did you like, oh, I'm gonna move home? Like, what was the whole thing? Like, oh damn, I'm done. How did that happen?
SPEAKER_00Just a quick burnout of the nine to five. Uh, I grew up with entrepreneurial parents. So I always had the dream of starting my own business, but didn't really have a set concept of what it would be.
SPEAKER_01Seriously? You had no idea.
SPEAKER_00No idea.
SPEAKER_01So you were like, I'm quitting, I'm idea shopping.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So my idea was to transition into teaching, which would give me a more flexible schedule to build alongside of. So I quit beginning of the summer. And what were you doing before? I was doing financial planning for energy efficiency. Oh, not sexy. Not at all.
SPEAKER_01But can I ask you something? What was your major?
SPEAKER_00I triple majored in accounting and finance, business management and marketing.
SPEAKER_01Okay. So and where'd you go?
SPEAKER_00I went to Eastern University.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so you were busy in college. Yes. So you are a focused, you are a very focused, solution-based. Okay, this is what I'm gonna do. Here's my roadmap. I want to make sure I have everything open to me and do everything in my power to make sure I have every opportunity. So I'm gonna do everything that I can in advance. Yes?
SPEAKER_00Yes, uh definitely the case.
SPEAKER_01So only because I I deal with so many college students, I bet you were excited to get that job.
SPEAKER_00I was super excited. And then quickly learned that the schedule and the flexibility and freedom and growth, even just after two years in it, was complete in that chapter. So I thought that teaching would allow me to have a balance between not fully jumping into the entrepreneurial side, but easing in. Teaching what business.
SPEAKER_01Where?
SPEAKER_00Uh high school. Oh.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01God. So that's like, oh, high school's hard. Wait, so were you did you go to get certified as a teacher?
SPEAKER_00So I did go to grad school and I have my master's. So New Jersey has it where
you can just test into becoming a teacher. So I took all of the tests, and actually before the school year even started, I opened up a boutique business with my best friend. Doing what? It was um targeted for younger generation clothing for I live in Cape May, New Jersey, so very seasonal tourist town.
SPEAKER_01Right, right, right.
SPEAKER_00And there's not very many shopping malls or areas as a local to shop. So um we felt we were filling that need, but just very difficult to do in a tourist community with such off seasons.
SPEAKER_01Wow. So was it a freestanding store or was it online?
SPEAKER_00A mix. So we had a brick and mortar, but we operated it as a pop-up still.
SPEAKER_01And you did it with a best friend? Wait, are we still best friends with her? Yeah, it's tough, man. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. I think and like you're fairly young. You're not even 26 yet, are you? 27. Okay, so you just cracked it. It's one of those things that be grateful you did it now as opposed to at 37 or at 47, because you got to get all that out of your system. And now in hindsight, and these are all such good life lessons and business lessons, like they say be careful who you get into bed with, being careful who you go to do you work with, because you see sides of people that were always there, but you just never needed to see them because you didn't need to rely on them, depend on them, expect things from them. It's very different having a friendship versus a partnership.
SPEAKER_00Very well said. The experience was definitely invaluable, but has helped transition into Var and Reed Co. So it's definitely been very full circle with that.
SPEAKER_01Was it one of those things that okay, you're in Cape May, you had the best of intentions, it is absolutely a tourist community. It's the Jersey Shore, essentially. Did you not think about that going in saying, like, hey, this might have a short lifespan? Or were you like, that's it, I'm out, I can't take this day job anymore. You're in, you want to do this, let's go. Is that kind of how it went?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, definitely. Just kind of transitioned into that and just went off and ran with it. So how that must have been so did you close it up?
So I went on a mission trip to Guatemala, and that is where I first fell in love with the generational leather craftsmanship.
SPEAKER_01Wait, why did you go? How did that work out?
SPEAKER_00I went through a missions trip just because I had the flexibility timing with the winter season being slow for the boutique. So it was a fully new experience, something I hadn't done before, but inspired me to come back and the business and focus on she continues to do it, which is great, and focus on building Lauren Reed Co. And I didn't come home with the idea of it being purses, but just knowing that the leather medium was something I wanted to preserve and create something new with. And that transitioned into what became Lauren Reedco purses.
SPEAKER_01So who gave you the idea to go on this mission? I mean, this whole methodical thing, because so many people who end up going into handbags was never like it was never not my monkey, not my circus. Do you know what I mean? It's like you were idea shopping to have a business, to have a brand. You didn't know what that looked like. You knew you couldn't day job, but you're like, there's something creative in me. Whose idea was it to go on a mission? Like, how did it just come like were you like, oh, that looks this is at the right place at the right time? What how did that happen?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so it was um church paste and it was an opportunity where they kept saying it and I never really thought twice about it. And then the dates came up and I just had the flexibility of going. You're like, that's it, I'm going. Yeah, it just booked the flight and was the last one to join on.
SPEAKER_01Viacondios, look at you. So you go there. Now, just out of curiosity, with the boutique that you had with said friend, what were some of the retail takeaways? Because honestly, it's really awesome that you went through that because it just gives you such a better, clear vision in terms of, you know, you'd never open up a retail store if you didn't know how to shop, if you didn't understand to get into the mind of a customer, like the retail anthropological needs of what is she looking for? How many, you know, like, and that's all trial and error unless you've done it as a day job, right? So did you leave that experience thinking handbags, uh-huh? Or like, oh, I know that these items sell through. Like, what were some of the retail takeaways? Because that's really interesting.
Yeah, one of the biggest ones was the mix of storytelling. Cause I always knew the line of like the cake has to be good, even though the give back story and the mission and all is just the icing on top. But I could really see that firsthand in the boutique as a jacket that we had that was reversible was always our top seller because it was such an easy conversation to start with the customer of just pointing out these few extra product story different attributes. So transitioning to that into the bag and having the sustainability upcycle denim linings and the full grain leather, giving the patina that makes each bag uniquely yours, and just trying to balance that story while still creating a product that sells due to its quality and the product itself.
SPEAKER_01So you knew after that experience. Isn't it interesting how all these like little pieces fit together into a puzzle that you didn't realize it was a puzzle until after? So, had you not had that boutique experience to realize that okay, this leather jacket that was reversible, reversible, that had a story tied to it. So now you have a a seed planted without even being aware that leather, story, narrative, sea feel touch, there's something tactile about that that people are responding to. So you go on this mission. Was the boutique still going or it had okay? So the boutique is still going. What was the mission like two weeks? Something like that. Two weeks, you get there, she's the last person on. Where did you come across these people making product that you were like, okay, this not additional light bulb moment? Well, how did that all happen?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I was actually walking around the markets looking for different style trends for clothing and the boutique specifically, whenever I came across so many artisan leather cooperative shops that when you'd peek in were just making insane shoes to belts to bags. And I just knew that I wanted to do something in that medium. And when I came home and researched, every retail category and product is all crowded, whether you try to say it's sustainable or ethical and add whatever cherry on top. I felt like purses had a few less barriers to entry with lower return rates, sizing issues, and just the broader age range appeal where I could sell a bag to someone 25 and 60 and have them still like the same style.
SPEAKER_01If 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. For 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 up again, or if you 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. Join me, Emily Blumenthal, in the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass. So be sure to sign up at Emily
Blumenthal.com slash masterclass and type in the code I'mCast to get 10% off your masterclass today. Right, right. So that was point one. So you still have the boutique, you did this, you came back. At what point did you say, I'm gonna go off and do my own thing, or did you still keep the boutique and go off and do like for lack of a better word, church and state? Like, how did you determine what was to come?
SPEAKER_00So I was pretty impulsive with it. A week after coming home, I decided to step away from the boutique and focus on building the brand. And 47 days later, from just the initial idea of leather medium being purses, I had the first sample in my hand and a minimum order quantity in route to me of what will be my epag this coming weekend.
SPEAKER_01Can I tell you something just to make you feel better? What you just said is so textbook to us, and I mean us as a collective, because most people who end up going into handbags who aren't trained in design are historically very responsible, very organized, very, you know, by the book. But there's something about creating this ridiculous handbag that you just said is very impulsive. Like it's so it was very off-brand for Lauren Reed to start Lauren Reed, right? Like, but you moved at the same pace and organization, but it was like no research had been done. It was like you had a gut feeling and you just went with it. That's it. Like game over, I'm done. I'm out, that's it. I'm doing this. Like it's off-brand for you to to do something so impulsive, isn't it? Someone who tripled majored, like these two are not the same.
SPEAKER_00Completely. It is continually said to me as soon as I say what I'm doing now, that it's always a takeaway from somebody.
SPEAKER_01But isn't that interesting though? Because you took the same energy and approach as you would with everything
else. It was just not thought out, not researched, no goal-based. It was like, okay, this sounds good. I think I'm gonna go with that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um, it was actually ironic whenever I ended up with product in my hand. I hadn't even finished my marketing plan yet. So I hard-launched the product, website, socials, everything all in one day.
SPEAKER_01Were you up a full 24 hours working on it like a psycho and not getting up from the chair and like, that's it? Okay, I've taken pictures, okay. And then before you know it, it's 3 a.m. and you're like, okay, I'm not getting up until this is done because I've got it, and now I just need to go.
SPEAKER_00Exactly how it went. Every closet in my parents' house was getting reorganized to stuff purses in it instead of what was in it. Constantly smells like a new car.
SPEAKER_01So it's had you when you day job, had you moved out and moved back home for this, or yeah. I did move back home for it.
SPEAKER_00So was that hard? It was a transition, but just aligned with goals, so it made sense. Were your parents supportive of this? Or they were like, ah, she'll fall. What number child are you? Are you the oldest? I'm the youngest of two, and my older sister has her own business as well.
SPEAKER_01Oh, okay. So it's there. You can't run, it was inevitable.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01What does she do?
SPEAKER_00She is a boat captain and does private boat charters out of four Myers, Florida.
SPEAKER_01But that's responsible. It's like there'll always be customers for that. There's no uncertainty. I mean, there is weather-wise, but she will always have customers. Like this, you this is like you said about the cake. Like you're buying the flour, you're buying, you know, like you're making the cake from scratch here.
SPEAKER_00Definitely.
SPEAKER_01How did you determine what your first shape would be? Like, how did you say, like, okay, I took this one trip, and while you were there, had you met the person who'd be producing? Like,
did you hedge your bets? How did that work?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I met two groups. One was a relative of the mission leader, and then one was a friend of that in another town. So I had meetings and spoke to both of those. Ironically, both of those fell through. And one that I met while I was back at home and connected with is who's not producing. So also not very linear, but exciting path of how it got there.
SPEAKER_01But I think all these things just like it's so you're so lucky how quickly you went through because you already know it's not gonna like you need to hedge your bets with production, the people that you and I'm sure with the first two, you life storied yourself. Like, I want to do this and I want to do that. By the third one, you're like much more efficient to the point, I'm looking for this, I want that. These are the price points. So it was kind of like they were there just for you to have that learning curve, just to kind of get it out of your system. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00Definitely a great example of that, and just the process of having the language barrier to start to.
SPEAKER_01You don't speak Spanish?
SPEAKER_00No, I'm very good to lingo school right now, but I'm very far from being fluent.
SPEAKER_01Oh my God, that's crazy. So, how did you determine? And by the way, your bags are, I just want to also point out, socially responsible. So they're
made by groups of people who give back to the local community. Is there, do you want to talk a little bit about that? Because I think that's absolutely worth sharing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, definitely. So the Artisan Cooperative pays three times the living wage. They're all fully trained with the generational heritage traditions. All of the leather is locally sourced. It is 100% full-grain leather, and it is vegetable tanned and hand-staided, which helps give that one-of-a-kind feel to each bag and has a batina that changes.
SPEAKER_01And what's batina? Just to be clear, I love to make sure everybody knows when they're listening. What's batina?
SPEAKER_00It's just the way that the leather softens and changes just over time with wear, but becomes more supple, has more character to it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, what a lot of people don't realize, and you and I do, because you become fluent in this very quickly, leather is skin. It's skin just like on your arms. It's wear and tear. And the goal of a leather bag is that it becomes loved with the oils and grease of your hand, and that when it ages, it ages well, as opposed to PU, PVC, faux leather, leatherette, whatever cousin you want to call it, which will inevitably crack because it's chemically made. That is not meant to last a lifetime, whereas leather is in that shape or form.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. So then the inside of the bags as well, in some styles that are lined, I have lined with upcycled denim that is sourced from the new denim project, which is And what's that? An amazing project that helps recirculate fashion and keep textiles out of landfills. They have some amazing collaborations as well. They partner with Ralph Lorenz Food Line, AG Jeans, Starbucks Eco-friendly totes that were in the last year are all um sourced with these same textiles. So really great project. And it's
great to be able to continually keep them out of the landfill and then add another aspect of what makes this bag one of a kind.
SPEAKER_01Can I ask you something nuts? Why did you choose your name? Were you trying to come up with something unique and clever and then was like, no, screw it, my name works. I'm just curious.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, there's a note list in my phone that was all over the place, a mix between my last name, trying to put some puns on that, and then also just ended up with a name of just the clearest branding that makes the bags to look clean without having a logo.
SPEAKER_01You have a very clean name though. You're very lucky. Some people aren't so lucky, but Lauren Reed is a very clean branding name. So it's funny. I mean, and I guess as a result of you going through the mission and going to church, you know that sometimes, especially since faith is really it's really on trend right now, so go you. But you know, a lot of things that people see, they're like, it was there the whole time. I just didn't see it. Do you know what I mean? And everything you're saying, I and I can say this as an outsider, and I think this is for anybody who's listening, it's just a really good takeaway to say that sometimes these things are there, and only when you take the time, when you do that kind of life pivot impulsively, but with the same focus that you would on anything else, that you realize like, who knew? Who knew I was capable? Who knew I could do this? Who knew I I could create this, now I have a product, now what? Like everything takes you to the next now what line. Like I have one bag. How many bags should I make? Like, especially with dealing with production, like how long did it take you to determine what your it bag would be? Did you say, okay, I want it to be a simple clean toad? I want it to have interior. Like, how did you come to be that this was that?
SPEAKER_00Ironically, I drew my first sketch on the back of a receipt paper. Where um I bartended on the side for a seasonal and I did it while at work. And that sketch is what was sent and created the bag. Chicken scratch, just completely zero design background. Very cool experience to see it in my hands then with exactly what I was envisioning in this little chicken scratch sketch.
SPEAKER_01Don't hate on the chicken scratch. Wait, how did you determine? You know, because a lot of people don't realize the science that goes with the bag. Like, yes, you don't have to worry about sizing, i.e., with footwear or clothing, small, medium, and large, there's no need for two, like shoes, but there is understanding the ethnography of who your customer is, like what they eat, what they sleep, where they drive. This isn't demographics, it's a lot more molecular, if you will. How did you determine who this customer was, what she would carry, the drop, right? From the top of the handle to the opening. Like a lot of people tend to realize, uh, not to a lot of people tend not to realize, like, based on where people are living, will determine body shape. It'll determine, especially with weather. Will the bag fit on a coat? Will it slide off a shoulder? All of that has to deal with the width of a strap. Like, how did you determine all of that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I personally always carried a small handbag. And that was also in line with never finding a tote that I did love. So inspired me to create what I wanted. And I specifically remember putting on a winter jacket and measuring the shoulder drop in the middle of the summer, thinking that when I'm carrying this now with a light t-shirt on, that it'll still feel the same, carry, hold, and be timeless for use. And I knew that I wanted some sort of braided aspect just to be able to highlight the leather craftsmanship and have that additional one-of-a-kind detail. So that is how I transformed the leather braided handles and then merged that into the smaller bags closure.
SPEAKER_01Okay. So you found you found your DNA within this whole narrative. This is so interesting. That's why selfishly I love having this podcast. I mean, I'd have these conversations with designers anyway, so I might as well record them for other people to hear. But I think, you know, I know you're still quote like early on in the lifespan of your brand, but I think it's really inspirational. I think you this is very thoughtfully made. There's a lot of love that goes into it. And I think there's been a lot of strategy and thought that, again, not everybody sees the behind the scenes because being a designer is like having your own business. It's very lonely, it's very isolating. And you put your heart and soul into every product that gets sold. And then the bigger you get, the more you realize that your heart can't be in every single product because you need to obviously scale and grow. But I think big things are on the horizon for you. I think you put a lot of work into this and you you've been led to this way. And I hope everybody, if they aren't able to come to New York now to absolutely be able to check out Lauren Reed Co. Period. So, how can people find you, follow you, and learn more about your special brand?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, thank you so much. So, my website is laurenreedco.com, and you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook at shoplaurenreed.
SPEAKER_01And it's L-A-U-R-E-N-R-E-E-D. Yep. Okay, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to rate and review and follow us on every single platform at handbagdesigner. Thanks so much. See you next time.