Haitian designer a finalist at 6th Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards Show
Written by Dahla
The 6th Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards show is becoming a household name in the Fashion industry; thanks to Emily Blumenthal, the founder of Handbag Designer 101. This tenacious, mentor, inspiring business woman followed her passion and made her vision a reality. The Handbag Awards show gives a competitive platform for upcoming and established designers to showcase their accessory designs and to expand their brand through publications and winning prizes set for the different competition categories. Some of the prizes give the winner an opportunity to have their collection manufactured: to be featured in the InStyle magazine; to collaborate with well-known companies such as Timberland, Singer and much more. The prizes are different each year and announced at the time of application. This year Icon’s recipient Award was Kenneth Cole and everyone was in awe of his lifetime achievements in the fashion industry and his philanthropic endeavor.
This year, I was very proud to see a Haitian designer among the finalists of the Handbag Award show. The Haitian accessory designer, Nora David presented her eco-friendly creativity in the “Most Socially Responsible Handbag” category. In this category, the bags are required to be made in a country where the proceeds are given back to the country of manufacturing or to the people that are employed to manufacture handbags to better their lives. Thus, the category was well suited for Nora David to enter such competition as she is the proud owner of her handbag business in Haiti and she contributes to the labor force by employing local people and helps their children to further their education. Though, she was not the winner of such category, Nora David is already a winner in my mind by being proactive and giving back to her country.
| “Most Socially Responsible” Handbag category | |
|---|---|
|
|
This handbag competition brought designers from all over the world, from Europe to Latin America, which is so different from its inception in 2007. What I would suggest to every artist, designer, architect or creative mind is to never give up on your long time dreams. Be a trend setter and not a follower! Be bold and meaningful in your designs! It is important to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone to make a name for yourself. Lastly, to my fellow Haitian artists and designers, go conquer the world while staying true to your talents. I believe that the more Haitian designers to participate in overseas competitions / events, the more exposure for their brand to be recognized not only locally but internationally. Definitely, let’s support each other!
I would describe Nora David’s handbag collection to be light, refreshing, sturdy and inviting to the eye. Her handbags can be worn to eclectic places or for a summer vacation. Click on the link for a glance at Nora David’s handbag collection:
