Pursepage Exclusive: 5 Questions for Andrew Cotton of Linea Pelle
Filed Under: Celebrity Purses, Interviews, Other designer Handbags
By: Mariana L.
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Hayden Panettiere with the
Dylan Large Speedy
Andrew Cotton, VP & Creative Director for Linea Pelle
Linea Pelle originated as a high-end belt company which expanded into handbags and other accessories. They are known for their luxurious Italian leathers, brass hardware and novelty details. Open up a magazine and you will find that they are a perennial favorite among stylists and A-list celebrities. Some celebrities, like
Lauren Conrad, are such fans that they jump in to collaborate on a collection with them themselves.
Andrew Cotton is the Vice President and Creative Director for Linea Pelle. Under his direction, he has made the label into a lifestyle brand known for cutting edge design.
I was lucky enough to be able to ask him a few questions for Purse Page about what makes this collection tick:
Mariana Leung, PursePage.com: Which pieces from the handbag collection in Fall 08 are your personal favorites?
Andrew Cotton, Linea Pelle: So hard to say! The Fall Dylans of course are on fire! There are great new shapes for Fall, especially the Tote with its roo** pockets inside and out. Also because the Dylans are washed after construction, they have an amazing hand feel and are lightweight. The Dylan Croco’s are great too because these are made of washed Italian lambskin with our own hand embossed crocodile pattern which makes these like butter! And the colors are awesome! ** next favorite is Samantha! Although there are only 2 styles here in washed Italian lambskin-it’s so rock n roll and chic! They have wrapped leather pyramid studs which give these a great downtown vibe and edge!
Lauren Conrad with the
LC Clutch
ML: Linea Pelle accessories seem to be a big favorite among the Hollywood set. Did you have any special celebrity muses in mind when you created this season’s collection?
AC: Actually not so much in the way of muses before designing, but after we design product sometimes I think “This bag would look great on so and so!” The same with out belts-after we receive gorgeous samples & the girls try everything on, everyone always has an opinion like “ Lindsay Lohan would love this!” Or “Oprah-this is so her!”, or this is “so runway!”-so we have fun with it for sure!
ML: Most of the general public doesn’t know how much work goes into creating the perfect purse. How many people on your team does it take to bring a great handbag from concept to finish?
AC: To build anything great it takes a team! I start with thumbnail sketches to flesh out some ideas and then go to a life-size pattern I whip up and make measurements, decide trims, like hardware and finish,and we have to send color swatches to the Italian tanneries so they can start dying and submit leather skins for color approval. Then I create spec sheets which have all the details captured in one place and these get sent to a sample maker. After a round or two of samples, with corrections, multiple copies get made in a mini production line which is great because you get to work out all the technical kinks and refine the make and details before it gets to the actual production stage. Then we receive many handbags, clutches or small leather goods which are salesman samples, which are exactly what they sound like. Our sales reps and international distributors then make appointments on the road, or in our showroom, their showroom or at a trade show and present the line to boutiques and department stores. And even after that, we still need to have orders compiled and written and sent to factories, which by the way we need to reserve actual production time a year in advance! So it is a tedious process which is highly rewarding every step of the way as you get immediate gratification. The product touches many hands to get created, so it takes a little village for an amazing handbag!
Denise Richards with the
Dylan Croco Shoulder Bag
ML: Your personal background in accessories, textiles and home furnishings is pretty extensive. What initially drew you to choose this sector of the industry rather than the typical fashion path of women’s clothing?
AC: There have always been so many labels and after a while you see so much of the same in apparel. I guess the same could be true with accessories, BUT there are SO many accessories you can chose from like shoes or handbags, jewelry or hats and so on. The beauty of it all is that women always want a little something new and if you cannot afford an entire new look, you can definitely afford a handbag or a headband or a pair of shoes and change your entire look.
ML: Where is the strangest place you have ever seen someone use a Linea Pelle Belt?
AC: That’s funny! We’ve seen some of the wider LP belts or sashes used as impromptu bustiers, even chokers! I think one of the most creative uses though was when we met a detective who loved our belts so much she used one as holster for her gun…on her thigh. Seriously! Talk about the fashion police!!
ML: Great Andrew, Thanks so much!
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Pursepage Exclusive: 5 Questions for Andrew Cotton of Linea Pelle
Linear Mode
