Handbag Designer 101: The Stories Behind Handbag Designers, Brands, and Industry Icons

Why is buying a Hermès bag so complicated—and is there a smarter way in? We sit down with Chloe Chen, known as Chloe Hermes Fairy, to break down the real mechanics behind scoring a Birkin, Kelly, or Mini Kelly—from purchase history and boutique politics to the reality of being offered a bag without knowing the specs. Chloe also pulls back the curtain on the resale and sourcing market, explaining how brokers secure exact bags, why prices fluctuate, and how paying for expertise can save time, money, and frustration.
Key Takeaways:
 • Access is strategic — Boutique offers depend on history, timing, and relationships.
 • Resale can be smarter — Sourcing directly often beats inflated platform pricing.
 • Authenticate everything — High stakes demand trusted verification and process.
🎧 Listen now for a clear, insider playbook on navigating the Hermès market without the guesswork.
Our Guest:
 Chloe Chen, known as Chloe Hermes Fairy, is a luxury handbag sourcing expert specializing in Hermès. She helps clients secure specific Birkin, Kelly, and Mini Kelly bags through a global network, guiding them through pricing, authentication, and strategy in both boutique and resale markets.
Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.
Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at emilyblumenthal.com. 
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Meet Volkan Yilmaz, also known as “Tanner Leatherstein,” a leather artisan and entrepreneur whose journey spans continents. From his beginnings in his father’s tannery in Turkey to becoming a TikTok sensation in the U.S., Tanner’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and passion.
After moving to Turkmenistan and Armenia with his family to run tanneries, Tanner eventually found himself in Chicago, working as a cab driver after winning a green card lottery. Despite language barriers and culture shock, he pursued an MBA and combined his traditional leather expertise with modern business skills.
Tanner’s brand, Pagai, and his viral TikTok videos, where he deconstructs luxury handbags, have educated and entertained millions, shedding light on leather quality, craftsmanship, and industry practices.
Key takeaways include the importance of understanding leather quality, transparency in craftsmanship, and sustainability in production. Tanner’s story is a testament to the power of tradition, innovation, and perseverance.

Key Takeaways:
Leather Quality: Educating designers and consumers about tanning, leather grades, and sourcing enhances handbag durability and value.
Craftsmanship Transparency: Showcasing the production process builds trust and appreciation for the artistry.
Sustainability: Embrace eco-friendly tanning, upcycled materials, and ethical sourcing to align with sustainable fashion trends.
Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” she has collaborated with leading brands such as Swarovski, Kenneth Cole, Henri Bendel, Kate Spade, and Macy’s. Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology and is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.
Follow Tanner Leatherstein:
https://www.instagram.com/tanner.leatherstein/ 
https://www.tiktok.com/@tanner.leatherstein
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What makes a luxury bag feel “real”—and why can even an authentic one sit unsold? We sit down with Dani Smith, senior authentication specialist at What Goes Around Comes Around (WGACA), to unpack the fine details that drive trust in the vintage handbag market. From a Chanel bag mistaken as fake to the limits of resale photos, Danny explains why in-person evaluation still matters and how structure, scent, and subtle wear can make or break a purchase. He also shares how authenticators are trained, what actually sells, and how trends and influencer demand impact resale value.
Key Takeaways:
 • Details define authenticity — Small cues separate real from questionable.
 • In-person still wins — Photos miss critical signs of quality and wear.
 • Trends don’t guarantee value — Demand can shift faster than expected.
🎧 Listen now for an insider look at authentication, resale strategy, and smarter vintage buying.
Our Guest:
 Dani Smith is a senior authentication specialist at What Goes Around Comes Around (WGACA), a leading luxury vintage retailer. With deep expertise in brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, he helps verify authenticity, guide collectors, and navigate the fast-evolving resale market with a trained eye for detail.
Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.
Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at emilyblumenthal.com. 
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Why do some beautiful bags fail the moment they hit the market? We sit down with handbag designer and consultant Holly Lauren Beedle—an industry “ghost designer” whose work appears under brands you definitely know—to unpack the realities behind successful bag design. Holly explains why pricing must come first, how ethnography shapes function, and why merchandising and material choices determine whether a bag survives real life or quietly disappears from shelves.
Key Takeaways:
 • Price first, design second — Retail strategy should guide materials and development.
 • Design for real life — Ethnography reveals what customers truly need from a bag.
 • Merchandising matters — Presentation and usability can determine sell-through.
🎧 Listen now for a behind-the-scenes look at how handbags are really designed, priced, and brought to market.
Our Guest:
 Holly Lauren Beedle is a handbag designer and product development consultant who works behind the scenes with established brands to create commercially successful accessories. Known for blending ethnographic research with practical merchandising strategy, she helps companies design bags that perform in both the marketplace and everyday life.
Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.
Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at emilyblumenthal.com. 
Subscribe, share this with a designer friend, and leave a review so more people can find Handbag Designer 101.
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What makes a handbag truly worth carrying every day? We sit down with Shay Prasad of Bags for Breakfast to explore how years on the retail floor shaped her approach to bags as tools for life—not just status symbols. From writing deep-dive Substack essays to launching a curated vintage shop, Shay explains how storytelling, condition knowledge, and retail anthropology turn casual shoppers into thoughtful collectors. Along the way, she shares how to judge patina versus wear, why function matters as much as heritage, and how understanding the history behind iconic houses helps buyers make smarter, more sustainable choices.
Key Takeaways:
 • Function beats fantasy — A great bag works with your real life.
 • Patina has value — “Loved” pieces often carry more character than pristine ones.
 • Context sharpens taste — Knowing a brand’s history leads to better buying decisions.
🎧 Listen now for a thoughtful look at vintage handbags, collecting, and choosing pieces that truly earn their place in your rotation.
Our Guest:
 Shay Prasad is the founder of Bags for Breakfast, a platform dedicated to thoughtful handbag collecting and vintage discovery. Drawing on years of retail experience and deep research into fashion history, she blends storytelling, education, and curation to help buyers appreciate craftsmanship, condition, and the cultural stories behind the bags they carry.
Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.
Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at emilyblumenthal.com. 

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