Fashion industry handbag brand Sharif Handbags Q&A

Written by Patrick B. Hill @neonrenaissancemag

Here is your chance to enter and win a handbag from Sharif Handbag. Go to Sharif Handbag Facebook page to enter the giveaway. The link is below

https://www.facebook.com/SharifStudioNYC

Our readers would like to know a little bit about you. What’s your name, where you from, and what is your profession?

I grew up in Cairo, Egypt where my family operated a leather manufacturing company founded in 1827. I moved to New York City in 1974 where I took a job with the exotic handbag company Finesse, before moving on to join the legendary Morris Moskowitz. After absorbing everything he could while working for these handbag giants, I founded my own company, Sharif Designs, Ltd in 1979, which I built into the largest American handbag manufacturer by the late 1980s.

How long have you been designing handbags?

Decades. In the Handbag Museum, our decade was the 80’s

What made you decide to be in the fashion industry?

My family was in the leather cigar box trade & I made my 1^st pieces out of remnants & cut-offs which gave birth to my mélange technique.

Who inspires you in the fashion industry or personal?

Kate & Mallory, Iman, A.N.T.M. Tyra Banks, Gucci, Y.S.l.

Looking at your products, your products have more of a culture feel when it comes uniqueness and style. What is the difference between your products and other products?

“Rules are made to be broken—and nowhere is that more apparent than in Sharif’s bold, colorful, unique bag designs.”¶

Deriving inspiration from cultural elements and materials found all over the world. I cultivated a worldwide following for my award-winning, signature style that playfully combines leathers, textiles and unique hardware in distinctive silhouettes. By fusing stunning style and flawless function, my handbags go beyond the aesthetic to deliver designs that are simply unlike any other.

Tell me about the designs and colors of each product and what they represent.

We went back to my Egyptian heritage & into the decades worth of archives, to update & rework my most. We have premiered them on Evine to rave reviews & sell-outs. Something you may want to focus on is that the designs are limited & works of art & get bought up quickly & then there are no more.

Take me through the process of creating, designing, and manufacturing each product. What is that process like and how long does it take?

We have a design team like no other & work out of our Showroom in New York. We have the means to manufacture out of factories all over the world & use only Top Grain Leather & the finest hardware.

What was the biggest challenge that your company had to face?

Pivoting from department stores aka brick & mortar to online & TV shopping.