A B O U T E M I L Y
The Handbag Fairy Godmother
Handbag Expert, Author & Founder of Handbag Designer 101
#1
Podcast in Handbags — and #6 in Fashion & Beauty
37,000
Weekly Downloads
50,000
Copies of Handbag Designer 101 sold
3
Handbag patents
5
Published Books by 2027
12
Years as Professor of Entrepreneurship at FIT
E M I L Y'S B I O
Handbag expert, author & founder
Emily Blumenthal is widely known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother.” A powerhouse industry expert and Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), she is the author of Handbag Designer 101 (with over 50,000 copies sold), host of the popular podcast of the same name — ranked #1 in Handbags and #6 in Fashion & Beauty — and holds three handbag patents. Driven by a mission to bridge creative vision and retail reality, Emily is the founder of the Independent Handbag Designer Awards and National Handbag Designer Day.
Throughout her career, Emily has brokered game-changing collaborations between emerging talent and global giants like Kate Spade, Swarovski, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. Her industry authority has made her a featured speaker at the USPTO and a regular media fixture, appearing in The New York Times, InStyle and The Today Show.
Beyond her work with top fashion universities and major brands, Emily is deeply committed to inspiring the next generation of creators and “kidpreneurs.” She created a nationwide Build-a-Bag kit at Walmart and wrote the children’s book Savvy Suzanna’s Amazing Adventures in Handbags. Tune in to her three books coming out in 2027: Savvy Suzanna's 10-Step Guide to Small Business for Kids, Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass, and Small Luxuries: Handbags. Emily is a proud mom of three and happily resides with her family on the Lower East Side of NYC.
H E R. S T O R Y
Four chapters, one mission
01 — T H E D E S I G N E R
From her own label to licensing deals
Emily started as an independent handbag designer with her brand Yasmena, discovered through the Henri Bendel Open See Designer Casting Call — featured on Sex and the City — and sold at Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and Bergdorf Goodman. Licensing deals followed, including her diffusion line, the Yazzy Bag, sold to Macy’s, Dillard’s and QVC.
03 — T H E C H A M P I O N
Discovering great talent
In 2007, Emily created The Independent Handbag Designer Awards. In 2023, she co-created The Signal Brands Collective, the first incubator for handbag designers, and The Handbag Designer Society. She also created The It Bag at NY NOW, a buyer-driven trade show showcase for independent handbag designers, and National Handbag Designer Day.
02 — T H E E D U C A T O R
Teaching the next generation
Emily has been an adjunct professor at LIM College and Parsons The New School for Design, and is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she was the first female hire in that department.
04 — T H E A U T H O R
Writing the bible for designers
Handbag Designer 101 teaches the fifteen essential bag styles — clutch, hobo, tote, and more — with step-by-step illustrations and advice from famous and indie designers. Her children’s book, Savvy Suzanna’s Amazing Adventures in Handbags, brings that same spirit to young entrepreneurs.
T H E I N D E P E N D E N T. H A N D B A G D E S I G N E R. A W A R D S
Talent Emily helped discover
Brandon Blackwood
CFDA MEMBER
Macy's Best Retail Handbag, 2019
Aimee Kestenberg
AIMEE KESTENBERG ON QVC
Category winner with Swarovski (2010) and Kipling (2012)
Si Young Kim
VP & HEAD OF DESIGN, RALPH LAUREN LEATHER GOODS
Best Student with Henri Bendel, 2010
Carmen Chen Wu & Aaron Luo
CARAA
Best Overall Handbag in Style and Design Finalists, 2015
Sugandh Agrawal
GUNAS NEW YORK
Winner, 2018 — Macy’s top vegan brand
Rebecca Minkoff
REBECCA MINKOFF
Applied to the Handbag Awards in 2008
B R A N D C O L L A B O R A T I O N S
Swarovski · Timberland · Kate Spade · Kenneth Cole · FUJIFILM · Guess · Nine West · Nasty Gal
R E T A I L P A R T N E R S
Saks Fifth Avenue · Bloomingdale’s · Neiman Marcus · QVC · EVINE Live · Macy’s
A S F E A T U R E D I N
InStyle · Harper’s Bazaar · The New York Times · The Today Show · The Associated Press
T H E B O O K
Handbag Designer 101
The bible for designers who aspire to make their own bags. Instructions for the fifteen essential bag styles, easy-to-follow illustrations, suggested difficulty levels, and color photography — plus advice from famous bag designers and today’s hottest indies. Everything you need to turn your handbag hobby into a successful business, from designing to making to marketing.
L E T' S C H A T
Work with Emily
From inception to shelf to repeat business, Emily has worked with handbag and accessory brands at every level. Book a consulting session, request information on the handbag market, hire Emily to speak, discuss the Handbag Awards, or arrange a Savvy Suzanna reading.
Handbag Industry Expert
E X P L O R E
