Our handbags are handmade in Long Island City. They are designed by Clara Kasavina and Misha Berger (husband and wife). Misha is a master sculptor who casts his own metal frames. Clara designs the handbags, adds finishing touches and matches the fabric, skins, etc. to Misha's frames. We are in the process of designing our holiday 2007 collection which we will be showing at the ENK in August.

We use many different materials such as python, lizard, Cayman crocodile, ostrich, stingray, leather, patent leather, space station leather, Swarovski crystals, semi precious stones and beads. Our collection is vintage inspired and we are constantly inspired by the fashion and accessories from 1920's. Misha Berger is a master sculptor, he casts his own metal, each stone and detail is put in by hand and each design is copyrighted.

Our line got started from designing jewelry and belt buckles. One day while shopping in a vintage shop Clara found a flapper handbag and got inspired to make the same handbag and add their jewelry pieces as hardware for the bag. It was an immediate success.  Each handbag is a custom order produced in our studio/factory. Women who own Clara's bags can't just stop at one, they become collectors. One of Clara's handbags designed by Misha is on display at the Norton Museum of Art.

The design nightmare story is one that hopefully no other designers have to go through. While working with a new model to embellish a crocodile handbag to show as a sample for the show, the piece disappeared and the handbag had to go to the show without the embellished hardware Misha was working on for months.

Our greatest achievement is the recognition we are getting from the customer, press and trade. We constantly hear from women that the handbag is a conversation piece and when they carry a Clara Kasavina handbag they are in a good mood. This is all a designer can ask for!