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.