Judge Doost at the 10th Independent Handbag Designer Awards

The 10th Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards happened recently in New York City at the SVA Theatre — and all eyes were on bags!

To me, accessorizing is the most fun part of an outfit. While I don’t think you can’t rely on accessories to make a dress that isn’t working work, I do love jewelry and handbags more than anything.

— Anna Kendrick

A great outfit doesn’t happen on its own — the right accessorizing goes a long way. I love meeting emerging designers — there’s a unique and rare passion about them. When I was asked to be a judge for the Independent Handbag Designer Awards — I was all smiles, thrilled to be involved in changing some talented and dedicated handbag designers careers!

Now in its tenth year, it is an industry staple and is the only international design competition to discover, recognize and create brand awareness for independent handbag designers.

I was told designer Rebecca Minkoff elevated in her career after she won at the IHDA.

⋅What I Wore⋅

Couture Limpasse dress ⋅ Accessories by Syd & Pia NYC ⋅ With Italian made Tiannia Barnes heels

I’m so thrilled to join this team — As my first experience, I was invited about a month before the ceremony to join the judges team in helping choose the finalists — I met a whole lot of classy ladies with great taste and looked at a LOT of submissions.

Esteemed panelist judges for 2016 included designer Trina Turk, Design Director of Guess Handbags Susan Faulkner and Kenneth Cole.

Thanks to Emily Blumenthal, aka the fairy godmother of handbags, for putting so much work and heart into a cause meant to change passionate designers life for the better.

♥

Fashion Times: What inspired you to create the Independent Handbag Designer Awards?

Emily Blumenthal: “After many years of being a handbag designer and a former career in media, it was clear a platform was needed to highlight the creations of the underdog. Since talent and creativity are only half of what makes a successful designer, I knew that this would resonate with the designer community as a means to be discovered. In addition, I knew brands would be keen to sponsor to have access to the next “It-Bag” creator as well as [to] support emerging design. Handbag Designer 101 became the source to shop with the largest selection of curated bags by independent designers, which is the sister brand to the Handbag Awards and where most of the designers are found.”

About the Independent Handbag Designer Awards:

Founded in 2007, the Independent Handbag Designer Awards by Handbag Designer 101 was created to celebrate handbag design and creativity from the United States and around the world.

Purses are like friends …You can never have too many

The IHDAs were founded by Emily Blumenthal in 2007 to celebrate handbag design and creativity in the U.S. and around the world. It has become the premier international showcase honoring handbag design and is the only design competition to discover, recognize and create brand awareness for independent handbag designers.

Honorees included Iconoclast Award Recipients Lucy Wallace Eustice and Monica Zwirner of MZ Wallace, as well as winners in EVINE Line’s Best Overall Handbag, Lug Life’s Best Student Made Handbags and Pantone’s Wild Color Card Bag.

The 2016 IHDA Winners:

The Lug Life Best Student Made Handbag: Carolina Kuhnen Ecco of Carolina Ecco

The Bernina Best Handmade Handbag: Angela Olson of Angela Valentine Handbags

The Basic Adhesives Best Green Handbag: Hanna Varner of HR Deneau

The Fashion 4 Development Best Most Socially Responsible Handbag:Jacqueline Suriano

The Mary Kay Wear With Confidence Bag: Zhe Liu of Zhe

The Trina Turk Best Resort Style Bag: Cathleen Nicol of C.Nicol

All About The Logo by Guess Handbags: Adrian Furstenburg

The Pantone Wild Card Bag: Stacy Chan

The EVINE Live Best Handbag in Overall Style and Design: Tiffany Wu & Lynn Lu of Heirloom

The InStyle.com Audience Fan Favorite: Yanique Moore of Ollie Quinn

My favorites were winners of ‘The EVINE Live Best Handbag in Overall Style and Design’ Tiffany Wu & Lynn Lu of Heirloom as well as Yanique Moore of Ollie Quinn winner of the ‘InStyle.com Audience Fan Favorite’ — both their speeches brought tears to my eyes. I was so over joyed for them!

A woman’s strong independent spirit is shown through the hardware bars that gives structure to the soft supple cowhide. The HEIRLOOM logo is an artistic extension of the letter H, incorporating Chinese traditional latticework that is subtly sewn to create a perfect juxtaposition of edge and elegance.

— Tiffany Wu

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGy98qdikMR/?taken-by=heirloombags

 

 See the full list of the 2016 Independent Handbag Designer Finalists here ♥ Which one’s your favorite?