Recently, an LDB favorite, Kempt Handbags attended the Independent Handbag Designer Awards as a finalist in the category of “Best use of Crystallized Swarovski Elements”. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Kempt designer Erin Voorhies again. This time she shared with us her experience at the gala, the industry players who attended, and the outcome of the competition.
The Award Ceremony took place earlier this month at the fabulous New York Historical Society where the attendees met in the lobby area for cocktails and hor d’ oeuvres before the show began. Erin attended with her publicist Gloria McPike Tamlyn and was overwhelmed by the gorgeous venue, rich in New York history.
Erin shared with us that her experience as a nominee was both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. But she had a great time meeting people like Lulu Guinness who received the ICONOCLAST award for handbag design and Carlos Falchi the 2007 IHDA Lifetime Achievement winner.
And although Erin didn’t win the award in her category, her now-famous bag is 
traveling on a world tour with Swarovski. Not bad! Here you can see how her initial sketch looks in comparison to the final product. What you may not see from the photo, is that each tiny flower crafted into this bag is adorned with a gorgeous crystal stone. In person, this bag is breathtaking!
Some of the winners of the night included Adriana Castro for Audience Fan Favorite, Rachel Esswood for Best Student Made Handbag, and Andres Stickney for Best Green Handbag.
Gloria had the chance to sit next to family members of the nominees including the family of Emily Blumenthal. Emily has seen great success so far as an educator as well as the mind behind Yasmena and the popular Yazzy Bag. But not unlike many new designers, Emily’s family helped contribute their time and energy to her early success. Stories like these were intriguing and encouraging to Erin. She is faced with similar challenges and the tremendous work involved with building a reputable line.
Click here for a full list of winners and their product photos in each category.
Thanks for filling us in on your experience that night, Erin! We look forward to watching Kempt Handbags take off in the months to come.
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[...] We’ve heard a lot about Kempt lately. Erin Voorhies, the New York designer behind the brand recently attended the 2009 Independent Handbag Awards as a finalist in the category “Best Use of Swarovski Elements”. (Click here for the full story) [...]