The results are in! Aspiring designers from around the globe gathered in Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts Theatre last night as the winners of the tenth annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards were announced during a ceremony hosted by Handbag Designer 101 and its founder, Emily Blumenthal. Over 400 supporters came out to celebrate the winners and finalists in ten different categories, who were chosen from a pool of 1,500 submissions. Heirloom Handbags secured top honors as the recipient of The Evine Live Best Handbag in Overall Style and Design, while Ollie Quinn took home InStyle’s Audience Fan Favorite award, chosen by you online.
“It means so much to be to be here tonight,” said Washington D.C.-based Ollie Quinn designer Yanique Moore. “All of my designs are inspired by my grandmother, so they’re very personal to me and it’s amazing to see her style recognized on this scale.” Kahlana Barfield Brown, InStyle’s Fashion and Beauty Editor-at-Large, presented Moore with her award. Julee Wilson, Digital Fashion and Beauty Director of Essence, was also on hand to present the Iconoclast Award for Lifetime Achievement in Handbag Design to MZ Wallace.
RELATED: See all the Finalists in the 2016 Independent Handbag Designer Awards
"To have made it to ten years is incredible,” noted Blumenthal. "What started as an idea for independent designers to get their voices heard, after having been one myself, has turned into something that the industry needs in order to discover new talent and also find out who could become the next 'It bag' designer. That's priceless."
Winner of The EVINE Live Best Handbag in Overall Style and Design: HEIRLOOM HANDBAGS, USA
Designer name: Tiffany Wu
Brand: HEIRLOOM
Where to follow: On Instagram @heirloombags
Inspiration: “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.”
Winner of The InStyle.com Audience Fan Favorite: OLLIE QUINN, USA
Designer Name: Yanique Moore
Brand: Ollie Quinn
Where to Follow: On Twitter @YaniqueMoore and on Instagram @ollie.hq
Inspiration: “Having grown up around Mary Kay consultants, and even being a part of Mary Kay myself, I understand the need for a handbag that is an easy, on-the-go style. I designed a cross-body shoulder bag with easy access to lipsticks with an attached front mini lipstick purse.”
Winner of the TRINA TURK Best Resort Bag: C. Nicol, UK
Designer name: Cathleen Nichol
Brand: C.Nicol
Where to follow: On Twitter @Cnicolstudio and on Instagram @cnicolstudio
Inspiration: “Inspiration for the Pippa resort bag was drawn from speaking to lots of women who love wearing clutches whilst on vacation or at the weekend, but always find them too small. I wanted to create a combination of beautiful form and function with a vibrant, luxury leather and our specially commissioned lining artwork, and I feel we have managed to achieve this with our Pippa bag.”
Winner of The LUG LIFE Best Student Made Handbag: Carolina Ecco, Nottingham Trent University, Brazil
Designer name: Carolina Ecco
Brand: Carolina Ecco
Where to follow: On Instagram @carol.ecco
Inspiration: “I feel really inspired by art and architectural influences, but I believe it's important to have a great range of research sources. The idea was to include the wearer in this process and deal with the user's moment as an experience. In this case, the bag is shown almost as a living thing that is constantly changing. The whole and ordinary outside surprisingly contrasts with the intricate inside. Even though there are three designed ways to wear it, it's up to the consumer to try out the invisible magnets and see what will come out of it. Therefore, the product adapts to the consumer instead of becoming obsolete.”
Winner of The BERNINA Best Handmade Handbag: Angela Valentine Handbags, USA
Designer name: Angela Olsen
Brand: Angela Valentine Handbags
Where to follow: On Twitter @ao3designs and on Instagram @angelavalentinehandbags
Inspiration: “Shapes, color, fashion, and leather.”
Winner of The BASIC ADHESIVES Best Green Handbag: HR Deneau, USA
Designer name: Hanna Varner
Brand: HR Deneau
Where to follow: On Instagram @hrdeneau
Inspiration: “My design inspiration for this bag and most of my collections are centered around nature and texture and repurposing scrap materials. Working with green and eco-friendly products is extremely important to me and I have centered my line around working with as many natural products and U.S.-based sources as possible. I try to create bags that are minimal in design and color palette and multi-functional so they are more easily transitioned from day to night and from season to season. Specifically for this style and others in my collection, I consciously chose to forego the use of clasps and closures.”
Winner of The FASHION 4 DEVELOPMENT Most Socially Responsible Handbag: Jacqueline Suriano, El Salvador
Designer name: Jacqueline Suriano
Brand: Jacqueline Suriano
Where to follow: On Instagram @jacquelinesuriano
Inspiration: “My home country El Salvador is a nation afflicted by violence and gang related problems. I truly believe that in order to break the cycle of violence we have to create opportunities for newer generations. At Jacqueline Suriano, we do so by providing jobs for young adults that are looking for a better future for themselves and their families.”
Winner of The MARY KAY Wear with Confidence Bag: ZHE, China
Designer name: Zhe Liu
Brand: Zhe
Inspiration: “Mary Kay is a really attractive brand for me. The geometric eye shadows appeal to me every time. So I wanted to use those eye shadows as my inspiration for my handbag design.”
Winner of the ALL ABOUT THE LOGO By GUESS Handbags: Adrian Furstenburg, South Africa
Designer name: Adrian Furstenburg
Brand: Adrian Furstenburg
Where to follow: On Twitter @adrianfurst and on Instagram @adrianfurstenburg
Inspiration: “The signature shape of the Guess logo is the red triangle. I used this shape and the point of my inspiration with classic red and blue trims as detail below the logo. The shape is a classic carry bag where the materials and colors bring a fun and sporty edge.”
Winner of The PANTONE Wild Color Card Bag: Stacy Chan, UK
Designer name: Stacy Chan
Brand: Stacy Chan
Where to follow: On Twitter @stacychanbags and on Instagram @stacychanbags
Inspiration: “The inspiration comes from women who need a practical bag, but are not willing to sacrifice luxury and style in their busy lives. Despite the size and minimalist construction, the Madeleine Cross Body Bag includes multiple internal pockets to carry you from day to night.”
