Corso Como Handbag- $198.00

Several weeks ago, I caught wind of new news in Corso Como. If you’re already familiar with this brand for their fabulous shoes, well you’ll be excited to learn that these famous kicks now have handbags to pair with! Here’s a pic of my new bag and I absolutely LOVE it. It is made of genuine leather and is so soft. But what we think gives it real personality is the fun liner to spice up this black classic look.

Karen Rutkowski, President of Corso Como Handbags chatted with us about her venture into this new line and the exciting path she has begun with the brand. I so enjoyed our conversation and we probably could have chatted all day. But here is a little bit of what she had to tell us:

LDB: So Karen, tell us about the beginning of your company. When/how did you get started and tell us how you have seen the brand grow so far.

KR: I have worked on the corporate side of the fashion industry for over 20 years and in September 2009 I found myself at a crossroads. While considering the possibility of going out on my own, I ran into Max Herrell the President of Corso Como Footwear at a trade show and a new opportunity presented itself. So I traveled with them to learn more of what they were about. I was impressed by the way they grew their brand. So, we came to an agreement about creating a corporation for Corso Como Handbags.

LDB: At what point did you decide that this was the right career for you?

KR: In college, I majored in Marketing and minored in Textiles. I moved into a career in fashion pretty much right away. I began as an intern for Esprit and eventually moved into retail and sales. I worked for the Esprit brand for 17 years, right up until their U.S. operations closed. During my time there, I moved to Dallas to work for Esprit accessories which is where much of my experience with handbags came from. Eventually, we could see that careers in retail and sales were decreasing. Where there used to be a need for twelve sales people, there was now only four.

LDB: What has been the most exciting experience for you since your launch?

KR: There have been so many! I can’t choose just one. I love supporting small boutiques. They have some fun finds and handcrafted pieces worth spending a little more for. I love to mix more expensive pieces with less expensive ones in my wardrobe. I might wear a T-shirt from Target with a great piece of jewelry that I paid much more for. And I believe that most women today who love fashion do that too.

LDB: What makes your bags unique?

KR: Max is already known for making shoes that are very comfortable, so handbags are also functional and practical while keeping a great sense of style. Women today are multi-faceted, involved in their career but also a mom of kids and involved in their community. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the handbag is, if it doesn’t have pockets or your wallet doesn’t fit then it sits in the closet. We think about these things.

The type of leather we use is also unique. We use material like metallic snake overlay, sparkle leather (which is a lamb leather with a sparkle overlay), metallic croc and even embroidery on leather. The natural material we use keep the bags from having a lot of structure.

LDB: Where do you look for inspiration?

We have a small team and it is very much a collaborative effort. We find our inspiration from trade shows, leather shows and we shop a LOT at all kinds of places including vintage and flea markets. We travel and pick up pieces throughout the year that we love. We are careful to watch the trends and consider how they relate to our brands’ “fashion with functionality” message. The most important piece we decide on first is the leather or fabric, then we consider color and finally the silhouette. We try to stay within the shoe color themes and fabric to keep a cohesive look throughout the brand.

LDB: What can we look forward to seeing more of from Corso Como Handbags?

Well, we have enough going on now with the recent launch, but you can look forward to seeing a lower-tiered handbag brand in the next couple of years…Ciao Bella!

LDB: Where would LDB readers find you when you aren’t working to launch a brand?

Well, I’m a mom of three kids: 14 and 10 year old twins! They are my #1 priority and more than anything else, I am a mom first. A couple of years ago, I participated in my first triathlon which was also a lot of fun and definitely something I would do again.

Click here for more on Corso Como’s new line of handbags. We certainly found our favorites and I will bring you new updates on Karen’s line as we hear about them. Best of luck, Karen and thanks for sharing your story with LDB.

By Rachel Yeomans

On a chilly Wednesday night in the Chicago winter wonderland, we took our bundled selves into the stylish Grand Ballroom of the Sofitel Water Tower Chicago to celebrate the start of a big new year with StyleChicago.

StyleChicago’s Resolutions 2010 event was a fantastic way to usher in the New Year! A fun crowd, multiple vendors and generous food and drink (not to mention the goody bags) took a typical weekday into a stylish affair. Vendors included H20, Paint, @Properties and my Spa. Not only were attendees pampered by food and drink, but they had the option for a makeover or an eyelash extension as well!

Cocktails were provided by X-Rated Fusion Liqueur and hors d’oeuvres by Café des Architects.

Chicagoans have always been admirable on being able to enjoy an outing despite threatening weather. StyleChicago not only combated the weather but conquered it with a flip of a martini shaker while our coats were cooling off in coat check.

After a nice long much-needed hiatus from “real life”, we are back to bring you the latest in indie designer news. I hope that each of your had a fabulous holiday and are beginning 2010 with a bang.

After a long vacation to Disneyland, hosting family at Christmas, and starting a brand new start-up (yeah…it’s true!), I’m finally sitting back to LDB to give it the attention it deserves.

Thanks for your patience, everyone. We have many great things in store for the year and I’m looking forward to chatting with all of your about your favorite new designers and styles this decade will be known for.

All the best!

Oh, and here’s my holiday card for you…a little late. Sorry.

Please submit:

Dr. Karen Blessey- Founder of Gebbie Cloth

If you still haven’t walked away a winner, we still have three more weeks of amazing designer pieces to give away. This week is no exception. For the mommies on your list, The Gebbie Cloth is the new must-have item that no new mom should go without. In fact, why it took thousands of years to come up with this idea…I’ll never know.

This wrap-around burp cloth fastens around mom’s neck to keep it from falling to the floor. It also protects dry clean only clothing from spit up. Why didn’t I think of that?

Dr. Karen Blessey didn’t necessarily see herself as a designer, but as a new mom, she had a need for a stylish burp cloth that protected her clothing and actually stayed on her shoulder. So, with the help of her friend, Adrienne Thompson they got started developing The Gebbie Cloth. Now the idea is catching on! But what makes The Original Gebbie Cloth more superior than a knock-off brand? Dr. Blessey says it’s the unique designs and time and attention paid to high-quality fabric…just right for baby.

And we are lucky to have one Gebbie Cloth to give away to one lucky LDB reader. Click here to browse their collection, comment below with your favorite design and you’ll be entered to WIN.

After you’ve commented, you’ll receive extra entries for every blog post, Retweet, or facebook update that links back to us.

Here’ the rundown:

-Add this post to your facebook page (1 entry)

- Tweet/retweet about it (1 entry)

- Blog about this contest (3 entries!)

- Become a fan on facebook or Already a fan? Suggest our fan page to your friends (2 entries)

- Link to this contest on your website, blog or any social network (1 entry)

But make sure you come back and tell us what you’ve done to get the credit! The lucky winner will be determined by randomizer.org and will be announced on Wednesday, December 16th!

Good luck! …and Happy Shopping!

Edie Dress- Mountains of the Moon

Holiday Countdown Giveaway #3 is from another LDB favorite. We first discovered Mountains of the Moon on twitter in some very fashionable eco-friendly circles. We instantly fell in love with these feminine designs that were created to look oh, so chic…and by the way, they’re produced using the most earth-friendly methods and material. But these are no potato sacks.

When we first interviewed Chicago-based MOTM designer Melissa Baswell, we learned that she had been investigating ways to create earth-friendly pieces even as a little girl. Far before it was fashionable! Now, her experience is paying off in gorgeous I-must-have-that-for-my-next-holiday-party design.

So we are especially excited about this week’s giveaway from Mountains of the Moon!

The Edie Dress

Mod fashion meets sustainability in this stylish mini dress that doubles as a tunic. The Edie Dress features chic tailored design, subtle front darts, and a slightly flared bottom with contrasting hem strip accent. Designed by Melissa Baswell and made sweatshop-free in the USA from luxurious 100% organic cotton twill that was low-impact dyed. Available in your choice of black/cream or maroon/black (S, M or L). Retail Value is $78.00.

So How Do You Win?

This week, comment below with the answer to:

What is one must-have item on your holiday list? (Feel free to leave links)

After you’ve commented, you’ll receive extra entries for every blog post, Retweet, or facebook update that links back to us.

Here’ the rundown:

-Add this post to your facebook page (1 entry)

- Tweet/retweet about it (1 entry)

- Blog about this contest (3 entries!)

- Become a fan on facebook or Already a fan? Suggest our fan page to your friends (2 entries)

- Link to this on your website, blog or any social network (1 entry)

But make sure you come back and tell us what you’ve done to get the credit! The lucky winner will be determined by randomizer.org and will be announced on Wednesday, December 9th

Good luck! …and Happy Shopping!

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She says, “Best present? My first Francesco Biasia bag…phenomenal. That said, it could be the worst present ever as it started a handbag addiction…”

I can relate to that! And…she’ll be one happy addict sporting this new fabulous bag by Beso Handbags. I have a feeling she won’t be giving this one away! Alexandra, email me at andrea.pohlot@littledesignerbook.com with your address and we’ll make sure to get you your prize!

A huge thank you to EVERYONE who entered. The best news is that we’ll have a new giveaway in the morning!! Stop by around 10am to see what we have coming up from The House of Lux! Another LDB favorite.

(By the way, all winners from LDB are chosen by randomizer.org! We have absolutely NOTHING to do with it!)

Grace $74.00- Beso Handbags

We are pleased to bring back a favorite designer for our first Holiday Countdown Giveaway Event! This event is about making your holiday shopping easy. We not only search through hundreds of designers to find the best gems, we are also giving them away each week!

WEEK ONE opens with Beso Handbags designed by Johanna Penagos out of California. We love Johanna, because her handbags are feminine and yet very practical. Casual and fashionable. And we love her even more because she is GIVING AWAY Grace, a very popular piece from her current collection, to one lucky LDB reader!

Grace is a large-size purse with a great modern shape. She features two shoulder straps and a flap with a magnetic snap closure. This bag measures 15.5 ” at the widest point, 9.5 ” tall and 5 ” deep. Her exterior is constructed of the very soft, yet durable, “coffee corduroy”.  Her lining is sewn in the brand new “autumn berry”. Grace’s interior features two open pockets, perfect for your cell phone or small essentials. There is also a zipper pocket. The Grace bag is constructed with extra support in the bottom to help hold her shape. A large red flower pin adorns Grace for the holidays, but the pin is removable and can also be worn on your favorite coat. Grace is a beso handbags best seller and a customer favorite, returning for the fall/winter season.

So, your mom, daughter, sister, best friend or maybe YOU could be the new owner of Grace by simply commenting below with your answer to this question:

“What is your favorite gift you were ever given?”

You must answer this question to be entered to win, but you may collect ADDITIONAL ENTRIES by:

- Tweeting this post (1 entry)

- Adding this post to your Facebook page (1 entry)

- Blogging about this contest (3 entries)

- Linking to this post on any blog or social network (1 entry)

- Become a fan on Facebook (Already a fan? Refer your friends) (1 entry)

Please come back here and tell us what you did. We’ll announce the winner on Monday night (11/23) at 10pm PST.

Good luck! …And happy shopping!

Designer applications are currently being accepted until November 14th. So make sure to apply even if you think you might be interested. The application is simple and the application fee is only $55. This event is being called The Puget Sound’s Fashion Renaissance in celebration of all that makes Northwest fashion unique. Proceeds from ECFW will benefit the Chris Elliot Fund for Glioblastoma Brain Cancer Research.

We plan to be there too, and look forward to seeing you there!

Click here for the Official Designer Application

Photos taken by: Stefan Klapko

Fashion-followers love knowing what the newest trend is, where the hottest runway show is, and of course who the “it” designer is. Chicagoaons were able to get a preview of some hot designer potentials even before they received their college diplomas.

Friday evening during Fashion Focus Chicago, 20 design students from four Chicago colleges strutted their stuff by showcasing collections worthy of cum laude during the runway show, Dress Code.

Each college featured five design students showcasing their collections. Columbia College Chicago paraded cinched waists, muted colors, detailed construction and very chic attitude. The Illinois Institute of Art followed with a mixture of sexy elegance with a bit of punk rock and a new way to look at denim. The one menswear line premiered for The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Despite the masculine entry, the students showcased some ethereal femininity in their collections. And you can’t leave campus without a political message. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago delivered just that – whether the crowds received its impact or not, it didn’t deter from the fantastic fabrics that were used to convey the message.

The finale collegiate team came from the International Academy of Design and Technology Chicago. And what a finale it was. Draping, mix-and-match fabrics, bright colors, and even a bit of “floral” enhancements.

Alexis Aprati

Amber Johnson

Angie Ortega

Anna Brown

Bas Talaga

Bese Guzeldere

Fraley Le

Genevieve Clifford

Jemelyn Smith

Kaely Garcia

Katherine Swanson

Kelly Kroener

Kelsey Heiniger

Maureen Sullivan

Meranda McNeill

Olivia Kim

Philip Gueorguiev

Rebecca Diaz

Tina Park