I am a Lucky Girl!

Saint Patty’s day is tomorrow, and I am so excited for my first time in Chicago over this holiday.  I heard there’s a lot of drinking starting at 7am and something about a green river?  Sounds like a good time to me!

I am feeling so lucky this season with everything that I have in my life, and I couldn’t help but think about all of the good things that have happened to me while in the spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day – you know, with the whole luck thing.  Now I have never come across a pot of gold or met a giddy leprechaun; however, I have come across a city that I can call home and I have met so many new friends along the way.

My newfound luck in the windy city makes me feel it is like my duty to celebrate tomorrow and show off my Irish pride (even if I’m totally not Irish at all) by spending it with friends. Whilst I am out on the town, which Brynn Capella bag do you think I should carry with me?....and it has to be green of course!

 The bright Grace Kelly Heather?  Or go a little more subtle with the Moss Creek Lauren?

What are you doing for Saint Patty’s day?

Joys of Production

Since working with Brynn I will never look at handbags the same........

Fabric Rolls

Bins of Hardware

Every trip to the contractors is an adventure. We must have reorganized the fabric in the backroom a dozen times. It has all been a great learning experience. Now that we are going into production I  realize how important it is to keep an organized environment, not only for us but for the contractors too, and sometimes it takes more than one trip.

Another  way that  we organize the back room is bins. Since we use so much hardware we separate by bag and size. There are so many different sizes and colors that we have to make it easy to keep track. Now when doing inventory for hardware be ready for what seams like endless counting.

Hides of Leather

 Of course the signature look is leather. When getting the leather together we make sure that it is quality. One thing I do not like is when we get all the leather in, it stinks! The smell of leather is not very pleasant when it is all in one designated area. The best part is knowing everything is ordered and ready for production.

Spring is Almost Here

As the warm weather approaches, so do the new spring and summer bags. So that means it's time for Inventory day for the girls at Brynn Capella Inc.

Last Friday came and went so fast. It's actually amazing how many handbag bins fit in the office closet! After we took all the bins out, the main area was filled wall to wall with bags from season's past. It was fun seeing how much the line has evolved over the years. There were even some bags that we didn't realize were still in stock, as they aren't online anywhere. (I smell a new task a brewing.)

The morning was filled with counting every single bag and double checking our main inventory counts. After our quick Pizza lunch break, Brynn decided to have a fun session of researching names for the 70's inspired Fall 2012 Collection. From researching slang words (That's Dope, To The Max, Chill, Groovy, Foxy Mama), fashion trends (Bell Bottoms, Hot Pants, Menswear inspired) and popular movies (Annie Hall) and songs (Imagine, Heart of Glass, Brown Eyed Girl), we finally narrowed down our selections. Now besides Spring/Summer, I can't wait to see Fall too.

Lastly, we re-organizing the bins and shelves to make room for the new bags arriving soon.
I'm sure nothing will bring as much excitement to the intern girls once the new spring bags arrive! Fun bright colors to brighten the office, so as the days get warmer the anxiety grows!

Behind the Scenes: Taste and Trend Event

Hello everyone! It's Elizabeth here to tell you all about the classy and fun event we participated in last night. The Taste and Trend event was held at the W Hotel on Lakeshore and was hosted by our friends at Left of Trend. Brynn and I packed up the red suitcase with the bags we wanted to showcase and headed over to set up. Once we got there, Jason and Jim from LOT were so helpful and we got everything unpacked pretty quick. Before we were even done getting organized we sold a Cher wristlet! The customer kept saying "I have to have this!" We agreed : )
Once we were all set up we were able to make friends with our neighbors BucketFeet and Whether Bags. We'll be next to BucketFeet at the Daley Plaza Sidewalk Sale next week so it was awesome to meet them and the Whether Bags were amazing! Eco-friendly and so cute. All of the designers, including our company, were offering a 30% discount on all products. There were also free drinks at the bar (according to Brynn they were ah-mazing!) and appetizers from the Wave restaurant in the hotel (we got seconds).
Overall the event went really well. We got a lot of interest in the bags and met great people. There were two women we talked to who both bought bags, and they were able to tell us about some boutiques that they thought we would work perfectly in. Of course, I am always on the lookout for boutiques for Brynn's bags so I had my pen and paper ready. It was great to get some input and advice from a customer. It really shows how much women love Brynn's bags and how much they can connect with Brynn and the company. We also sold one of our new Zee Satchels which we were very excited about! We love that people are wearing them out in the city and gaining interest. We adore the bag and firmly believe that everyone else should too ; ).
The event got me pumped for the Daley Plaza Sidewalk Sale event happening next week on the 19th and 20th from 9-3PM. I can't wait to meet more of our awesome customers and promote Brynn's beautiful bags.
Until next time...

Happy St. Patrick's Day !

Whether your searching for your pot of gold today or just savoring the one day a year where it is perfectly acceptable to wear head to toe green... Everyone at Brynn Capella wishes you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Splurge on some green accessories today, and may the luck of the Irish be with you!

Fall Fashion Week: Part II

Fall Fashion Week is such a fun time, but exhausting too! Now that I survived it...I wanted to share with you some "Behind the Scenes" moments.

Studio-808 is the brainchild of Erin Creaney, a PR executive with a near-athletic enthusiasm for emerging designers.

This year, she created the first ever Accessory Style Lounge to showcase Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 accessory lines. The shopping suite was filled with fashion, fun and was the perfect place to pick up pieces to complement any wardrobe.

From 3pm - 6pm, the music was pumping, people were shopping, drinking Vitamin Water (wink wink) and having fun.

Susan Eichstaedt, of Susan Elizabeth Designs, was there with her mixed metal artistry. From rings to cuffs, earrings to necklaces, everything is handcrafted by her.

I actually have several of her pieces myself and get tons of compliments wherever I go!

Check her out online at: susanelizabethdesigns.com

Squasht by Les is another great line out of Chicago. Besides her wonderful vintage petal headbands and signature reversible hats, she has a full clothing line as well. Lesley also recently opened up her own store on the edge of Ukranian Village. Her flagship store is located at 2556 W. Chicago Ave. in Chicago.

Another great thing about events like these is that most Fall Fashion Week events are centered around clothing designers and runway shows, which are a ton of fun. But this was "the accessory designers" chance to shine!

Here's our friends Agnes of Love, LuLu Mae and Jules! Both of them with their unique, handcrafted lines and the inspiration behind them.

If you are looking for "...a piece of vintage glamour in (your) modern life", Love Lulu Mae is perfect with her beautiful collection handcrafted from antique jewels, vintage fabrics and exotic feathers.

Jules is inspired by nature. This artisan jewelry line has deep color variations of gemstones, rich textures of raw minerals and blemishes on hand-hammered metals.

We are excited to share our "Behind the Scenes" look into Fashion Focus Chicago! Stop by on Friday for a look at the Finale Runway Show presented by Style Chicago and a look at the Fashion Chicago retail event...

ps: I tried to upload video, but it's not working! I will keep trying so stay tuned...maybe Natahsa will have to help me with that on Thursday!

Handbags, Jewelry and Clothing...Oh My!

Everybody likes to find a good sale, unique item, and free shipping! The Indie Designer Market brings handbag, jewelry, and clothing designers together for one special weekend. Come stop by the Indie Designer Market on the 1300 Block of W. Randolph St. here in Chicago. It is a Saturday and Sunday event. So come early, shop late, and save big.

We will have great prices on some of our most popular Brynn Capella bags... we have bags at 75% off! Stop by our booth and say hello. We would love to see you!

Time: Sat July 24th 10am - 5pm
Sun July 25 10am - 4pm