Tag Blogger

Beau Satchelle Evening Handbags Are Ready For The Holidays!

The art of leather accessory design has layers of processes that only the artisan’s hands involved or a leather aficionado can appreciate. A well-made luxury bespoke bag takes 20-40 hours to make and entails hundreds, perhaps over a thousand, hand-sewn saddle stitches; all done with hand tools, two needles and thread. The choice of leather is a vital decision as to the ultimate look and feel of the product to ensure the owner’s delight of the product each time it is used. With those values and work ethic driving us, we are especially proud of the latest creations of our Master Leather artisan, T. Michael. This year, the number of requests to expand our luxury clutch offerings has amplified. Particularly with the upcoming holidays and celebrations looming on the horizon. As promised, it is our pleasure to introduce the first two bags that involve our eveningwear collection: The Grace Bespoke Clutch Bag (pictured above) is making its debut this November as a true one of a kind for Beau Satchelle. As with all of our products, it was necessary that we, first and foremost, provided good design and superior craftsmanship. The clutch’s design has a concave shape and is petite enough for a woman to comfortably carry in her hand. The leather is made from Italian lambskin in silver metallic and feels amazingly soft. The interior is made of black goatskin to contrast the silver exterior. This luxury jewel is sewn with fine waxed black thread and the edges are hand painted and hand burnished in black. An interior sleeve was created to provide accessibility for a Smartphone and keep it separated from other items like keys and makeup. The remaining interior has just enough room to carry a few personal items for that special evening out. A nickel chain […]

Beau Satchelle Happenings and Updates

The last month has been a whirlwind of activities for Beau Satchelle as we have been participating in several Metro Detroit Auctions to benefit some very worthy organizations and charities. We are also in the midst of getting prepared for a great holiday shopping season by positioning and promoting our bespoke luxury goods for one of kind gifts. Detroit Uncorked With an invitation from the Detroit Wine Association (www.detroitwine.org) we were honored to donate a bespoke leather piece for auction, named the “Emily Handbag” to the 12th Annual Detroit Uncorked Wine Extravaganza. The event’s proceeds benefit Gleaners Community Food Bank (www.GCFB.org ) one of the most significant charities in Metropolitan Detroit. Gleaners’ sole purpose is to solve hunger in Southeast Michigan through an intensive emergency food collection program that delivers millions of pounds of food to 535 community partners who in turn distribute to food pantries, shelters and schools. Over 20 restaurants and food vendors provide tasty hors’deuves while guests were able to sample over 250 Wines from all over the world from over 30 wine distributors and suppliers. The Silent Auction had a myriad of items ranging rare and vintage wines, work by local artists (including Beau Satchelle!), one of a kind wine lover collectibles and sports memorabilia. Spark 2016 Detroit Garment Group (www.detroitgarmentgroup.org), the non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate education and economic development opportunities for Michigan’s fashion community, as well as cut and sew manufacturers in all industries. In conjunction with their FashionSpeak 2016 conference, Beau Satchelle was privileged to donate one of our bespoke designed messenger handbags to their inaugural fundraiser SPARK. As a member of this association, we are fortunate to part of a fashion network that brings together professionals from across the State of Michigan and have the opportunity to rub elbows with […]

Detroit Welcomes FashionSpeak 2016

A favorite time of the year for Beau Satchelle is in October when one of Metro Detroit’s premier non-profit organizations educate and promote the growing cut and sew industry in Michigan. Their annual FashionSpeak is part education, part networking, and all about the business of fashion. It is a time for professionals (designers, manufacturers, retailers, buyers, and bloggers) in the industry from veterans to college students to meet and learn from each other. So here’s Beau Satchelle’s takeaways from a packed day of learning: The morning began with Lauren Kirsch Weiss who serves as a buyer at Freeds of Windsor who shared tips on surviving trade shows from two standpoints that of a designer displaying their lines and secondly being an efficient tradeshow buyer. From a designer’s view it comes down to doing good prep work prior to the show (especially reaching out to potential buyers), presenting the best of you and your designs during event, and solid follow-up post show. The second speaker was Amy Dietrich, a product development expert and design consultant at Restoration Hardware whose topic was “Determine and develop your best product” and we have covered many tips that have been in previous blogs which boils down to doing your homework about your product, your customer and your competition. Karen McDonald, a public relations expert was the presentation that was key for Beau Satchelle. She offered a number of suggestions on creating a public relations plan for an emerging design business that included having good photography, a strong website, developing a press release and 3 to 6 talking points, know media’s deadlines, and practice interviewing. Karen also invited Rebecca Voigt, stylist editor from Hour Detroit, a local luxury magazine and RJ King, editor of Dbusiness an online business magazine that focuses on Metro Detroit businesses to […]

Creating A Luxury Brand From Scratch, part 2

A couple of weeks ago, we introduce the first of a series of blog posts about lessons learned in our first year of launching our luxury lifestyle business. As always, there is a never ending wealth of teaching moments and knowledge that we gain through our first year journey. So let’s cover two more this week: Marketing Our Brand – in the beginning, once your vision work is completed, while creating your business plan, a start-up must decide what their marketing strategies will be to attract their specific demographics. When entering the luxury market, every decision and action made has to correspond with the quality of your products. With that in mind, we study meticulously; the details that high luxury brands use in their language and visuals to communicate to the specific buying market. Let’s consider a luxury American automobile, the Lincoln MKC. The commercials alone exude pure elegance. The choice of using an iconic actor, Matt McConaughey, as their spokesperson, the beauty of the home and the infinity pool he dramatically falls in, his clothes and accessories he puts on, even the aristocratic dogs he carries in his Lincoln speaks quality. Lincoln customers are introduced to that same messaging throughout its social media, its showrooms, the VIP black label program and concierge service which all speak to a supreme experience. As we grow, Beau Satchelle is crafting a similar meticulous message to our audience; we will provide a “white glove” buying experience and our clients will gain pleasure and self-elevation when carrying our leather accessory. Our editorial and e-commerce photos must express beauty at the highest standards by displaying the intricate craftsmanship of our products. Our models and location shots we use create images of class and extravagance. We have to scrutinize the social media history of potential models […]

Celebrating National Handbag Day

If you adore handbags, like us, you are thrilled and anticipating the approaching celebration of National Handbag Day on October 10, 2016. A day created by one of our favorite sites purseblog.com where handbag aficionados pay homage to the designers, the history and timeline of styles, and the trends of the past, present and future. So if you need some ideas to prepare for this special day, here’s eight ways to show your love! 1. Downsize your personal collection and donate your gently used bags – Pay it forward. Why not do something altruistic and take some time to find a charity that supports low income women who are returning to the workforce? For example, Dress for Success is a global organization that accepts gently used clothing and accessories for the purpose of giving women a helping hand to build an office wardrobe. In the Metro Detroit area, there are couple of non-profits that also use donated handbags as a springboard to helping survivors of domestic violence. 2. Contribute to your local economy and purchase from an up-and-coming handbag designer in your area – Nothing makes a statement like supporting an emerging handbag artists. 3. Shoes and Boots to compliment the bag – At all of the Fashion Weeks from New York to Paris, we noticed over the knee boots, embroidered boots, chunky heals and over the top embellished shoes. To compliment your latest footwear purchase, finding the perfect matching or contrasting bag will give your outfits a complete and finished look. 4. Plan your holiday gifts for your loved ones – a bespoke bag made exclusively for the women in your life is the ultimate luxury possession. Beau Satchelle has the ability to take any of its designed bags and customized it to your preferences and needs. 5. Buy […]

Creating A Luxury Brand From Scratch, part 1

Lately, a number of our fans and entrepreneurial peers of Beau Satchelle have asked us about lessons learned during our first year of launching our small business. Introducing a new brand and creating that initial momentum to attract attention and buyers takes laser focus and hard work to stay the course. The number of years and amount of grinding it requires to become an overnight sensation in the world of business can be daunting for a start-up. Breaking into the life of niche, affluent buyers demands, different thinking and actions require stepping up your game. Our 2016 journey has become fascinating. The many personal and business lessons gained are invaluable. Sharing with our readers through this blog, our continuous journey of building a brand, we hope, gives insight and confidence to peers who have or are considering taking the leap into creating their own start-up. Believe me, there is a wealth of teaching moments that will take more than one blog post, so let’s cover three in this one: 1. CREATING A VISION – Starts with knowing yourself. While making the moves to market your product, this is the time to dig deep and be introspective. This may mean determining what self-beliefs may hold you back as an entrepreneur, from selling to approaching a potential high end client. Your limiting mindset can totally derail your confidence in pricing and selling your premium products to a buyer with high expectations and discriminating tastes. Even if your luxury product is extraordinary, do the inner work on yourself to build confidence in attracting and working with high end clients. Our vision which we speak about in detail in our March 16th Blog post, titled “Vision Board of our Future” and is our North Star. In conjunction to creating the big picture, producing a […]

Lessons From A Shark

If you consider yourself to be a student of the fashion industry, then giants such as Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren or Tori Burch would be recognizable names as being game changers in the world of retail. As a start-up luxury business, we have to stay on top of our game by gaining knowledge from individuals such as those mentioned who have successfully forge their own paths. Auto Biographies are an important teaching tool for visualizing someones success and wanting the same for yourself. One of those giants that we recognize as a game changer in the world of fashion is Daymond John, the founder and CEO of FUBU, a television personality and investor on the hugely popular realty television series Shark Tank. He has written a book named “The Power of Broke” and it resonates well with any entrepreneur who is beginning their own journey of a thousand steps to building a business brand. In the book, he takes 15 entrepreneurs from different backgrounds who offer insight on what it took to build their successful careers and brands from nothing. In a nutshell, Daymond John bootstrapped his way to success and he feels in many ways that “the struggle”….not having money forced him to be creative which kept him focused on his goals. So in the course of reading his book, he shared in his first chapter 3 philosophical takeaways that resonated with Beau Satchelle’s growth which inspired this blog. Be Innovative – Daymond John refers to the power of broke as a mindset of providing substance over flash. It takes inspiration to stand out when you are a minnow in a sea of whales in the luxury industry. Our story is a good old fashion tale of basically learning an “old school” sewing art form from YouTube. Hand sewn, […]

Leather and Tech: The Perfect Pairing!

The cell phone. Can’t live without it! Since our lives depend more and more on phones, tablets, and laptops, it becomes imperative that luxury leather designers stay ahead and create accessories that can accommodate these devices. Leather accessories have multiple functions that include protecting and holding the device while showing off your individual style. Although the range of textiles that can be converted into a holder for a cell phone are numerous, leather ups the game in conveying an indulgence that can’t be equaled. Offerings with leather products include: Handbags and Wallets – whether a tote, crossbody, clutch or wristlet, a woman will require a pocket that can handle her phone with easy access. From Beau Satchelle’s experience, more female consumers are requesting at least one pocket outside of the handbag or an interior pocket that is extremely handy if she hears one of her notification sounds. Even an unassuming leather wallet needs to have the ability to not only house the essentials (credit cards, money, and identification), but must offer a cell phone pocket to show a women’s style and simplicity when she runs her errands. Duffle Bags and Backpacks – these particular bags are designed and built for multiple uses whether the gym, the classroom, the office, hiking or a weekend outing, multiple pockets and specific locations for tech products are essential. It is imperative that not only books, or a weekend outfit have a perfect home, but sufficient room is set aside to secure a tablet or laptop. Of course, once again an accessible cell phone pocket is necessary for easy access. With the advent of mobile chargers stations that allow phone and tablet users to become independent of “searching for a wall plug”, these technological have raised the bar to insure that a carrier can support […]

Cut and Sew Comes to Detroit!

In Michigan, the signs of the summer season coming to an end is the sudden cooler temperatures, the leaves are starting to turn, back to school ads run non-stop and Labor Day weekend has arrived. In the United States, Labor Day is observed every first Monday in September to recognize the contributions of American workers. When it comes to celebrating the worker in Detroit, our city’s landscape is rich in manufacturing history that dates back to the auto lines created by Henry Ford’s factories in the early 1900s during the industrial age. The auto companies (Ford, GM and Chrysler) created many ancillary businesses who became suppliers to what we, back in the day, affectionately called the Big Three. What outsiders not familiar with Southeastern Michigan may not realize is that other industries have grown significantly in this region out of the auto industry including design and engineering. The last several years we have witnessed tech companies large and small make Detroit their new home. With Detroit’s growth, we have seen other industries steadily showing interest in being a part of Detroit’s revitalization. What is exciting for Beau Satchelle is the emerging garment industry that is receiving major buzz in the last couple of years. Fashion is finding a home in Detroit! The East and West Coast have been the dominant force in the cut and sew garment industry for many decades in the U.S. and unfortunately once manufacturers took those jobs overseas for cheap labor, materials and other financial reasons, this country lost valuable skill tradespeople. So in the last few years, the industry is observing a pivot with designers who are purposely deciding to manufacture in the USA or are returning to the states and looking for manufacturers who can handle smaller orders. This is where Detroit can make […]

10 Success Habits of A Small Growing Luxury Business

After last week’s blog regarding the Olympics and what lessons we derive from the experiences of the absolute top athletes in their respective fields, a curious reader inquired as to our specific habits that keep us focused on “the main things” in building a luxury leather business. As with any creative business, Beau Satchelle has for the most part, two main areas: the creative side (the design and production of our leather goods) and the sales/marketing end (getting our products seen and sold). Our success in these two areas are determined by building consistent, small steps every day that stimulates momentum and progress over time. For Beau Satchelle, keeping our eye on the prize, a successful luxury leather company, requires us to practice the following ten habits: 1. Maintaining a Healthy Body – not suggesting to necessarily be in shape to perform a marathon (unless that is the goal), but at least creating the physical routines for endurance on those long days that support good energy and fitness in the area of exercise and healthy eating. 2. Maintaining Healthy Mind Set – Reading positive and intelligent materials and books, listening to educational podcasts, watching You Tube channels of other entrepreneurs, networking with other business owners keeps us sharp and encouraged. More importantly, having a great sense of humor will keep you sane! 3. Gratitude – the daily grind of a business can be draining and challenging. To keep a perspective on what’s truly important, acknowledging what we are grateful for comes in different forms whether that be through prayer, writing in a journal, using this blog to publicly acknowledge who and what we are thankful for or just recognizing our teammates value to this business is worth its’ weight in gold. Showing gratitude to others is limitless and appreciated. 4. […]