March 31, 2025

S9 Ep10 EMILY BLUMENTHAL: handbag industry and design expert - on vintage handbags and history, dupes and trademarks, and getting her designs on Sex and the City.

40 minutes

On today's show, we're chatting with handbag industry and design expert, Emily Blumenthal, who is the founder of The Handbag Awards and National Handbag Designer Day, and professor of entrepreneurship at FIT, and host the Handbag Designer 101 podcast.

This episode is all about – you guessed it! – vintage handbags, including the story of how Emily got her original handbag designs on Sex and the City, and so much other great vintage handbag lore. I think you're really gonna love it – so let's dive right in!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

[2:29] Growing up with a dad who worked in New York's Garment District
[6:06] Designing handbags while hanging out behind the DJ booth at the clubs in college.
[9:45] How she got her handbag everywhere – including Sex and the City! – by hustling.
[15:34] Developing a deep knowledge of handbag history while hosting The Handbag Awards.
[19:55] So much design inspiration is taken from vintage!
[26:30] On "dupe" culture and trademarks.
[30:01] How fast fashion has changed the handbag industry.
[33:45] On the concept of vintage "It" bags.

EPISODE MENTIONS:

Handbag Designer 101 Substack newsletter
The Handbag Designer 101 Podcast
@handbagdesigner on Instagram
Emily's video on dupe culture
Her letter on 'getting ahead of the dupe'
The Sex and the City scene
The History of Women's Handbags Part 1, Two, Three, and Four
The Armani Privé post
The story of Hermè, Henry Ford, and the zipper
The talk with the United States Patent & Trademark Organization (USPTO) on patents
Handbags to look for when you're vintage shopping

LET'S CONNECT:

📸Instagram: @emilymstochl
🐦Threads: @emilymstochl
🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/
🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod

SPECIAL THANKS:

A special thanks goes out to my Patron Insiders – your support makes Pre-Loved Podcast possible!

Patty Weber
Kathy Brand
Lisa of Queenie & Pearl
Lucille of Galipette Vintage
KT
Lydia Welp
Anastacia Banicke of Goods & Provisions
Michael A.
Megan Morris
Jennifer
Alana Rivero

...more

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By Emily Stochl

4.8

141141 ratings

March 31, 2025

S9 Ep10 EMILY BLUMENTHAL: handbag industry and design expert - on vintage handbags and history, dupes and trademarks, and getting her designs on Sex and the City.

40 minutes

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

[2:29] Growing up with a dad who worked in New York's Garment District
[6:06] Designing handbags while hanging out behind the DJ booth at the clubs in college.
[9:45] How she got her handbag everywhere – including Sex and the City! – by hustling.
[15:34] Developing a deep knowledge of handbag history while hosting The Handbag Awards.
[19:55] So much design inspiration is taken from vintage!
[26:30] On "dupe" culture and trademarks.
[30:01] How fast fashion has changed the handbag industry.
[33:45] On the concept of vintage "It" bags.

EPISODE MENTIONS:

Handbag Designer 101 Substack newsletter
The Handbag Designer 101 Podcast
@handbagdesigner on Instagram
Emily's video on dupe culture
Her letter on 'getting ahead of the dupe'
The Sex and the City scene
The History of Women's Handbags Part 1, Two, Three, and Four
The Armani Privé post
The story of Hermè, Henry Ford, and the zipper
The talk with the United States Patent & Trademark Organization (USPTO) on patents
Handbags to look for when you're vintage shopping