Emily Blumenthal
Host
00:00
Hi and welcome to the Handbag Designer 101 podcast with your host, Emily Blumenthal, Handbag Designer Expert and Handbag Fairy Godmother, where we cover everything about handbags, from making, marketing, designing and talking to handbag designers and industry experts about what it takes to make a successful handbag. Welcome, Eda Lourdes of Eda Lou Paris to the Handbag Designer 101 podcast, so happy to have you here.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
00:30
Oh, so I'll be to come at week new again. I love our cats.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
00:35
Our chats are so good. I know we always say that our chats should be a podcast and now we have the opportunity at least to have one of them to be a podcast, because we have so much to say.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
00:47
That's right Now. This is like a such a good idea. I'm so happy you're doing this.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
00:51
Yeah, well, I'm happy we're doing this together, because this was long overdue. But just to dive right in, let's get into the nitty gritty. So you are Puerto Rican. Yes, I'm from the island of Puerto Rico. Yes, okay, bienvenidos. So why don't you tell a little bit about how you grew up, where you grew up, how you made it to the States, to Paris, and then we can get into, you know, the lovely story of the trials and tribulations and the celebrations of having your amazing handbag line.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
01:26
So I grew up in the island of Puerto Rico with my single and my aunt and I would say that I'm a normal car of the 80s. I love 80s music. I have super sentimental about that era of my life. You know you grew up in the beach, puerto Rico. You grew up with that. You know you get into the radio by then and then the TV, both sweet TV, and I always was creative because I was a dancer through it. So I've always danced, mostly jazz and kind of show performances. And then I was always like get to the talent show here, the talent, the national talent show. When I was in college I would dance at the like what is the keyboard and the Lakers game, like the national league of basketball, and that is the best job I've ever had in my life.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
02:14
I didn't know that. I did not know that. What was the team?
Eda Lourdes
Guest
02:18
So it was all of the teams, so we would go, because it was sponsored by one of the supermarkets I think it was a corner supermarket or something like that and they would like pay us $125 every week to get in a van, every Tuesday, I think, to go to some random city in Puerto Rico, town in Puerto Rico. To dance them back time. Oh, how old were you? 18, 19.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
02:45
Yeah, what did your mom say?
Eda Lourdes
Guest
02:48
Oh my gosh, she realized like the sense of where I was going in a van, like this mountain town and whatever. I mean we had dance practice. I was also a cheerleader. I went to the University of Puerto Rico. So basically my mom, as long as I was studying something and getting the grades, I'm like she will like let me do my little creative, creative, like, but she was very strict, like you got to go and study finance, like I, you know, I wanted to go to go to, I wanted to go to Broadway and dance, and she was like that's not happening, you're going to like study finance. So as long as I study finance, I will be able to do the address. And I did modeling, I did commercials, I did everything that I could because now I had a car, I could move around the city and I could just go wherever there was a casting or a dance open call or whatever.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
03:39
Yeah, as long as I was doing finance, as long as I was doing finance, so that was fine.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
03:43
So I feel that a lot of my creativity comes from that other side of me, that other kind of life that I had Right, like being 80 hours on a set and learning how they were doing things and constructing a story about one of the products that were selling, and things like that. So this is really fun, time liberating and just artistic, being able to do stuff, even if it was just my side stuff, because I was going to university to do finance Right. And, of course, I enter into a bank and I did investments and treasury for like almost 16 years.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
04:16
Were you still in Puerto Rico, where you came to the States for this.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
04:20
So in Puerto Rico. The first 10 and the last four. I was in New York City and the interesting thing is that the other day I was in Puerto Rico and a friend asked me a new appointment. That's trying to get to know me and so so with empowering women and day you know as she's like, are you, when you were a woman that was a woman banker, or were you a woman that worked marketing at a bank? Yeah, I was talking about the best question I've heard. I started laughing and I said I actually was a woman banker. We were doing banking, income funding and like IPO stuff and, like you know, the difference.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
05:04
For the bank, the perception difference of someone in finance versus someone in marketing is like night and day. I mean, I have an MBA and you could tell just from the first class who was finance undergrad and who wasn't. And I was one of those people Like I went through my entire undergrad without having to take a math class because I was a Russian, spanish marketing major of some description, until my yeah. So my senior year I took an arbitrage class thinking like oh yeah, I can just pick it up, I can't be all that hard.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
05:43
Oh, wow. And it ends. It ends. All these years later she's saying we need more women like you. Again, yeah, and I'm like, I don't like that's going to be me. Maybe yes, maybe no, we'll see. So fast forward. Then I ended up in New York City. I can't believe we never met.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
06:01
So funny, when you think about that time, that we never overlapped yeah.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
06:05
I know that was 2011 to 2014, basically, so yeah, I was at it yeah.
06:11
Yeah, and then I did investor relations for the bank. It was an asset company so I handled this connection between like very old executive management and the new group of hedge funders and 20 something finance dudes in New York. Yeah, and our investor base was mostly in like the market. So that's when I came along and I could understand the finance but also talk to people and that was the job that I loved the most being at the bank. But then in New York City, you're in New York City, so there's like films and movie sets and fashion and all those things start to get a little kind of like I should do something. Yeah, I should start. You know, maybe I don't need to be in banking. You know all my life, if I made it in banking, I'm sure gonna be able to do it in something else, right?
Emily Blumenthal
Host
07:01
So, yeah, the funny thing is, in LA everybody is an actor comma, it's like acting and. But New York, it's like everybody has hustle and day job right, or your day job and the hustle, so it's like you got to have something. So when you talk to someone and you ask them, oh, what do you do? Which is such a cliche thing still to ask? It's like, well, this is my day job, but this is what else I'm actually doing. And if you don't have that comma and it starts messing with your head like, oh, I know I've got something creative inside me. What should I be doing? Right?
Eda Lourdes
Guest
07:37
And I think it's okay to always have the hustle. I mean now that going back, you know, going forward to all of these experiences and what we'll talk about it I've realized that it's okay, it is okay to have that steady thing if you still need it or want to, but then there's so much time during the day I mean yes, yes, awesome months. It's a little bit more complicated Now. I realized that when I became a mom but it is still like the pandemic taught me that you can do everything. It's just insane. So in New York I started to go into the Garment District, all of Sevens Avenue. Learn about you know how to make a collection. I actually hire a woman, actually friends, because no, no.
08:20
I'm not very satisfied and it's actually so shadowy and, you know and funny, I should have met you instead of meeting her. But I met her sort of sense and you know, at first you feel that you don't know anything because, oh, I'm a minus person, I don't have the right to know fashion, or I don't have to write to be creative, or I don't have the right to do anything. So you really think that you need you know, it's the insurance you a lot of money. So at the beginning, when she was very helpful and it was more of a month to month thing and doing a little thing he said she did. I learned a lot about making a collection and what do? The handbag, right, so podcast. But she said to me, don't do handbags and like, but that's what I want to do. And she's like, well, it's so saturated, it is true, but start with something else, start with another accessory, you know, start with other stuff and then eventually you're going to handbags and yeah, I mean I follow the advice of that's kind of like what happened. But you know, sometimes you either to go with your gut or sometimes you have to listen to specials and balance of those that must actually go into work. And at some point she starts charging a mortgage and I'm still in the band, so I'm okay to, like you know, get rid of a few thousand, kind of like to build this collection.
09:42
But then at some point this helps forward. It starts to be oh, I charge you this month because I made a Facebook post and I'm like what? And this is why I said I'm going to learn everything. I'm gonna learn social media website. You know I do my websites, I do all the social media. You know I have to learn because this is the thing.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
10:05
Can I say that that is such a standard, typical, cautionary tale of transferring from. You know this gigantic insecurity of I'm not trained in design. I don't understand the industry. Therefore, I need to hire a whole mess of people who claim expertise and they can then charge me carte blanche whatever the heck they believe is worth it. Because, again, it's the, it's the green cost I call it. It's the cost that people can sniff out how little you know and, as a result of knowing so little, they can overcharge you.
10:40
And I've had so many designers come to me and say, oh, I'd love to work with you and hire you, and I said, okay, but I'm not free. Nobody should be free, you know like. However, they've blown all their money with people who have, you know like. I've spoken to a designer recently who doesn't have a line or a collection ready but is already hired a publicist, and it's like but you shouldn't number one, in my opinion. Again, I always claim I'm not a doctor, I'm not a lawyer. So you know lawyers, first thing they say doctors, first thing they say is like I am not your doctor, I'm not your lawyer. So this is just my opinion. My opinion is don't hire anybody on the outside until you know how to do absolutely everything, even if it's not well, or to educate yourself.
11:24
You know who are the editors that theoretically covered the brand or the idea that you think your handbag would represent, right? Who covers those kinds of stories that would fall into the demographic. So you know that when you about source someone, let alone a salesperson for boutiques or PR person for stories, that you can come to them and say have you reached out or have you followed up with XYZ? Because in my opinion, that's who we should be. And if they say no, then you know you shouldn't be working with them because they're doing you dirty. And again, it's, you know, and this is nothing that you should be ashamed of or annoyed with yourself, and I always say it's the cost of doing business, it's the sunk cost, as they say in business school, whatever sunk cost of the learning curve, where you end up losing at a minimum of five to 10,000 with just figuring it out. And that's why sharing stories like these are just so very important, right, because you should learn, learn, learn before you make, make, make, make.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
12:24
But yeah, definitely lessons learned and it's like when you hire a professional, just make sure you understand why you're hiring, a form that is like very clear between you and that other thing should answer the why Right, like one of the list of items that I would be expecting from you.
12:41
You know the amount of time that you're dedicating to the brand, etc. Etc. Yeah, you understand. Okay, so this is the cost and this is why I should be with my expectations. This is what you understand, my expectation, and she agrees to them, and then we can move forward. That that collection was done between New York and was it a handbag? Was it a handbag collection? No, it was a collection of accessories that was hats, paste, like necklaces, like I had, like lots of stuff from Paris, like how do you?
Emily Blumenthal
Host
13:14
call that lace. These are things that were seismic. Right that it didn't matter, because always the danger of moving into anything beyond handbags. You know, I always say handbags is really difficult, but there's always a way to figure it out. There's, you know, a secret sauce if you feel, oh, look at that, yeah, we like. Well, yeah, that's the film, but it's handbags. You know, it doesn't matter how big or small you are, they are size agnostic, they are the non judgmental accessory. Oh wow, but that was a dream of the keys. That's really nice.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
13:48
I gotta say there was like not very romantic. It was kind of different, you know like romantic.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
13:53
I'm already looking at that printout and that's a lot of money, like that paper, that binding, that spiral, that's like at least five brand right there the photo shoot, yeah, yeah, everything like.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
14:04
the notebook is really nice. We did three photo shoots like oh Jesus.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
14:09
One, and it's exciting to do a photo shoot for the first time. But then you're like you always have to do this, because I found myself on photo shoots my first photo shoot, for my handbag. I did it in a club. I got a promoter, he got models. The models were coked out and I'm like is this what it's supposed to be? Yeah, and that's the learning curve. So wait, so you've developed this. She's charging you an arm and a leg. At which point did you say, okay, I need to go back to business school and I'm putting you on pause, lady.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
14:40
Yeah, so that's kind of like a coin site with me, like living like me, living New York and kind of really being between the three things of San Juan, paris and New York and just starting to get like the first recognition that I'm actually changing from biking to fashion. You know kind of things like that. And I was able to sell that collection in a store in like the three. Did you sell it yourself?
Emily Blumenthal
Host
15:08
No, no, no like to a store? No, but did you sell it yourself? Did you show up with the samples to the boutique and say, hey, yeah, it's important.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
15:17
Yeah, I mean there were some different connections to like people that I knew that all of them started to have a boutique. So that's how I definitely I would say probably people that you know, like your network, knows you and they'll support you. If you know, if they align with what you're doing and what they want to show in the store, they'll definitely support you. So I started with that and started in a store in Puerto Rico also. That was the store that I used to go every Saturday to buy for the night out. So you know, there were also very supportive on me and they helped me do pop-ups and things like that.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
15:51
Steve and I just I want to point out now that may not have been the store that you worked with once your handbag line launched, because I definitely want to get straight to that. But never underestimate your local boutique, and I think so many people need to remember that. You find one store that will support you. You befriend the owner and talk to them and then get them vested in your story. Don't be a pain in the ass, but if you can develop a relationship, buy something from them at least once or twice so they don't think it's a transactional relationship and say this is I'm creating something.
16:29
If you have some time and never go on a weekend, because people always think they can show up on a weekend to sell, no, that's when they're working Show up during a dead time during the week, where they're like desperate to talk to anybody, present your stuff and say what do you think Would you buy this? How much do you think your customer would pay for it? This is the competition I think it should be. Do you agree with me and go from there, because that relationship will be your game changer, and say listen, if you place an order, if I get pressed, you will be the first stock that I will mention Exactly.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
16:59
And so 100 percent of the exactly what happened, all these things that were pressed all this time recovering me. Back then I was able to put all of these stores Whenever I spoke about it, or the journal, the newspaper, things like that. So I moved to Paris and this time I realized I'm going to have my first baby man. I'm like, okay, this is going to be difficult, but I kept going, I kept selling and promoting.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
17:23
But you knew the person you were having the baby with right. Yes, yes, oh, my God, I got joked, I knew.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
17:30
And then I say, okay, so once things are or there's still like in boutiques, I'm like, okay, so one next. And I said, well, I'm in Paris. The idea I was 36 by that point what idea would have been that I would come to study fashion. I'm at the baby king, so I had to study French before actually starting in fashion. So I studied French and then, through the Puerto Rican mafia, I've already settled Puerto Rican in Paris.
17:57
I get a fashion connection that would interview me for a job, a job at E-Roll Paris, IRO, paris, which is, you know, best leather jacket and jeans that you can actually find. And I did lots of seasons with them for wholesale, because they did four times a year of wholesale international sales and you're doing for them. So everything related to the showroom. But my clients were mostly Spanish and American and Asian. They did those three clients, which was so instrumental to just learning how different cultures buy.
18:32
You know, when you got Middle Eastern, they buy everything because they wear everything. When you buy, when you're selling to the world more laughing, they might blur and the stories behind the clothes. When you sell to America, they just need to be efficient about things that are actually sell and when you are dealing with Asians, they have a very thorough process of trying on everything on their own bodies, because they have a different shape and they're smaller than you know sometimes the models that are wearing these clothes on the runway. So that was just amazing as to how a collection was constructed, what the story behind it was, the material, why those materials were important, and I did several seasons.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
19:12
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19:53
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Eda Lourdes
Guest
20:45
And there is a missing link in our story that I found out some point. I have your book yes, it's actually in my other office there and I don't remember how I got your book. Is that that I went to Amazon? I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember to find it. Or somebody told me about this book. It might have been that French woman that told me to buy the book. It might have been, but I cannot remember that little detail and how I started to actually follow you and follow the Independent Handbag Awards.
21:19
And then I said, hmm, like when I left New York I had gone a first to remember being told you can't do handbags, but when I left New York I did one sample in New York. So the first ever handbag that I did was in New York, oh my God. And basically there was this clutch which is very old, been a while ago, and it had a magnet and then you could change the accessories of. I mean, this is metal, but you could change the accessories of the design. And for me it was very tied to my schedule of traveling because I needed to come for the weekend, but I just had one handbag that I could carry. So then you have different straps that are chain or combat or leather, and that was the idea of that first handbag. And that first handbag was the one that I knew for the first time that I ever submitted a sketch, and then every year I would look at the categories and see which category do I see myself doing something for, and then at some point the second year goes by and then the third year is when we actually got into the award as a nominee.
22:38
I think it was the Atekevteberg category and that's where the cuckoo is born. And the cuckoo means you, who in French like cuckoo, like hello, your formal hello, and I have started using that name, like my sister in New York, and we just kept going with that name method. The first accessory should be named like cuckoo and that was a multifunctional bag, kind of going after this type of storyline which is like you're busy and you love handbags and stuff, but when you're traveling you've got to be more efficient. So that first handbag of the cuckoo this year was like a bag that you could use for a cough body and then he had four earrings here where you could just change to do back back, belt back shorter, kind of like a butt back, you know all those things or clutch. And that's where the first bag of the handbag happened to me this year when we got like the bag from like the award, like getting a Puerto Rico to be involved and voting and all that. That's when I said, ok, so maybe there's something interesting here. And it's interesting because the one that went to the final it's. This is more of the version of the sample that was made. The one that made to the final was for a line with Amy Customberg design and it was a suede kind of bronze bag. It was a rose gold medal and a cooking the world with medals and it was just more in line with Amy Customberg because it was a review we're designing for her brand. But then I realized after the award that, oh my god, the sample bag is the one that really aligns more with what I want to do, with the black and the gray leather and all that gold chain for things like that. And then it's 2019.
24:18
And due to show the handbags.
24:20
I thought so there were two. There's two bags the bag that went into the competition and my sample, and I just took photos of that bag everywhere I went as if there were 100. And the other day I am telling this story in a group of women, one that they're starting to kind of do their own stuff not really handbags but other stuff and when she hears this she was like I thought that there was 100 bags, but there were not two. There was 100 bags that you were just photographing everywhere and I'm like no, there was only two bags because at that point I haven't found manufacturing and who's going to do them or where am I going to do them?
24:58
In Paris and this is just before the pandemic I worked at a last job at Kendo, which is my last kind of official job in the fashion luxury industry in Paris, and then the pandemic started and once I'm in the pandemic I'm doing kind of like clients that I have for graphic design, web cycle, clothing, I think like that and then I said OK, we're stuck here. So I got to keep the story here. I'm going to have to find a manufacturing here. And that was the most stressful thing that ever done in my life, because even though you got the money to pay them, they say no.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
25:34
Yeah, it's so many thoughts, so one. I want to point out that how you learned early, probably not even aware of the knowledge you gained working for that showroom, because from a retail anthropological mindset of learning how people shop and how people shop differently and the needs and wants of different people is so very different and that you cannot sell the same product to different people the same way. That is such an important point, I mean, and also that no one bag you know. When people always say it's a day-to-night bag, in my opinion there's no such thing. Okay, the bag you use during the day is not the bag you're going to use at night. It's like you know what you wore the sneakers you wore all day. You want to change to something fancy or cute or pretty or put on cool sneakers. You know there's a totally different mindset. So, in recognizing what you said about, I always say smoke buys mirrors the fact that you made it look like that you were set up and had production and had a new, new and had the insight to take photos all over for the place to give the allure that, if anybody buys from you with D to C, that you were ready and what I did with boutiques before I had manufacturing is.
26:52
I made my delivery six months down the road I was like, okay, you can please in order, but it's for holiday and it was, I don't know, march. Now I had to find someone. I knew would take me some time, but I knew I should be able to get something by October, november at least I hoped so. All these key points are such good nuggets of information, just to validate of how clever you are. I want to get into you know, just to tie this all back into you finding manufacturing, how much they charge you, how much you know to you know, ripped you apart, and how this ties to Web three and what you're doing now with everything altogether. And I knew you're going back to Adolu, so let's dive in. That's such an interesting angle.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
27:38
So once I get that, you know the biggest, the most complex handbag I've ever done in my life is this first handbag for the Coupon, because I actually ended up forcing everything for that manufacturer to agree to do the back because it was so complicated, because you're designing for the first time, so you, you know that's something that you need to.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
27:56
You don't realize that every bell and whistle is going to cost you money, because every little detail is labor and labor is time, and especially dealing with the manufacturer, they can green cost, they sniff out that you don't know what the hell you're doing. So it's like I'm going to charge you triple and put you at the bottom of my to-do list, right, and that also, you know, helps you place it accordingly.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
28:16
This is that half a month from HLEO. So so now it's two major outlets that have recognized the bags, the bag. So it's just a different process for me to do the back and I made sure that I documented that well enough. Yeah, well, when people learn about the price they wouldn't like when she thinks she is, you know, yeah, and I never, never got a complaint about that price and it was almost $500. And it was a little bag and it's a tiny bag, I mean, if it's the phone, but it is like a smaller, it's not your everything bad, you know.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
28:49
And it's just. Is it just lamb skin? It's just lamb skin, yeah.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
28:54
Green leather, italian. It's nice. Yeah, it is nice, and all the components were nice. I mean, I've seen bags that have like a leather strap yeah, but I've been doing a Chanel strap, which is Right God, why did I ever do this? But at the end there's so much satisfaction that I ought to do this myself, like the bags, the chains that I understand, like the weight of this metal. All of it is so really crafty and it helped me document it so I can learn. You know, trust me, the message that this is why this is such an expensive bag.
29:30
And the second thing, before I kind of go into that, what's been, what has happened, is that I learned that once you got those clients that really love when you do, it's all a matter of adding more products. So this is the pandemia that Cuckoo is going to take seven months to make because this person is tied up with lots of handbags for all the clients. So I go to Spain and I said, okay, I want a smaller version of the Cuckoo, it is just that one mini Cuckoo, but I want to do it in some place else and another factory, because I want to make sure that I get. I have something that will come faster than this one. And then I grab the attention of people that already pre-order the Cuckoo, so they would also this one that will deliver much faster.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
30:17
You know, I think that's a super valuable point to recognize that hedge abets never depend on just one factory. I had a factory with my first order from Nordstrom. I didn't know that it was a Muslim factory not that they should have told me that, not that I would have even known to ask but the fact is I was reaching out to them like crazy during Ramadan, which I didn't know I shouldn't. I didn't even know they weren't working, and it's like reaching out to a factory during Chinese New Year like it's going to go crickets. So I not only offended this factory, I pissed them off and they threatened to not produce at all, like at all. And so it was one of those things where I was terrified and I you know every I was like oh my God, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.
31:10
I didn't know, I didn't know. Of course, I'll be respectful and you'll be holding to these factories, so it's one of those things where you're like holy shit, what am I going to do? So this learning curve is fast. So you know, put on your list like what, asking the factory what are your days that you don't work, what are the best times when you really come down when is going to be like disrupted.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
31:35
And then diversification is really good also because then you always have a input of products. If you already have a client that is interested in knowing, okay, what else are you doing? Show me that. And then I started to do storytelling behind this, all of these products, because there were still multi functional at this point.
31:54
And then mother comes along and I'm making bracelets with the X and A that I have, and I did them in gold and I put like the hearts that we use for the handbag, which comes with the key. You can take it out and use it as a network. So I started to play with my materials that I already started to be firing up. And how can this be used into another product? Because there is the demand for the product and I have the material and there's things that actually I can do in my own studio.
32:24
Here in this studio there was lots of accessories were done besides packaging things by bad From. I learned how to get all the tools that I needed to do grace, to do necklaces, you know, with all of that extra. And then all of a sudden I have three handbags with three sizes and three earrings bracelets, necklaces, so I have a whole collection that I can take into, let's say, stores. But also pop up and especially like holiday events are really good when you already have like a nice collection on an inventory. If you go to one of those like holiday events, those are really good to be able to sell everything. And that's the point where I am done with all the inventory may be just a few things.
33:10
I kept thinking the new theme of Puerto Rico and design, because I wanted to kind of fight the brand to just this craftsmanship and design aspect of the brand. But then this is when I'm like okay, it's November, december, winter is going to come, let me take a break and reassess what I want to do for the next season. And then when I stumble into Web three, listening to Clubhouse and Twitter and all of that, and then I realize, wow, this is so cool.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
33:38
Yeah, you are now a Web three expert. People bring you all over the world to speak about it. You're on platforms and panels and discussions and I'm so grateful to be connected with you within that space because you have taught me and educated me so kind of thing. We're patiently to explain the value of Web three, and NFT may or may not be a dirty word. If you could just speak to a little bit, how do you see the future of NFTs, web three with handbags and where are you with it? I'll do now, yeah.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
34:15
So, really, web three has brought me back to, but to have a relationship with you, which has been amazing after the pundit and everybody you know, so we're good place. Web three has introduced me to just a bunch of women out there that are really working hard to use blockchain technology, and this is all about blockchain technology and how are we going to use the blockchain technology for the future. And basically, fasten is one of its first messengers. Fasten is, you know, apart from crypto, which I own. Women were left behind and it led me to be okay to understand crypto, which I 2014,.
34:56
If it's finance, I don't want to hear about it. I literally said this an idiot, right. And I'm like okay, I can still learn about this. I've learned a little bit about what's happening with crypto. How is this involved? Where's the place for Fasten? And I've learned that not only there's a community of like women and men that are really ingrained into the ownership aspect of a digital asset and hide to a real asset, and I think that is so interesting because for our subject of handbags, one they can be certified that that's a handbag made by X amount of you know X brand, where it was made, you know which was materials and what has happened to the bag since it left the factory into your hands and to the next owner, if you happen to resell it. Oh my God, ada, we have it.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
35:47
We need to do a special episode specific to no. I think we need to because there's so much to speak about and it minimizes your impact and your knowledge with just like having it thrown in with a handful of sentences. So we're definitely going to have you back to talk about this in deeper detail because I think there's a lot of opportunity. In my opinion, I don't think Web 3 should be anything exclusive. My opinion to sell from Web 3 to Web 2, which also might not make sense to a lot of people is a lot more difficult than going from Web 2 to Web 3.
36:24
And I think this advent of what NFTs and you know, this kind of new future, was mistaken in assuming that I could develop a handbag brand in Web 3 and which is obviously an intangible part of what NFT stands for, and then translate that then fictional bag into something tangible that theoretically people would want. And it's impossible because you don't have that audience you know to go from. It's like a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle isn't a square. Web 3 is the rectangle, web 2 is the square. You just can't go backwards. It's too difficult. So go ahead, wrap that up and then let's hear about where you are.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
37:08
The Robin is that I've been doing this almost like the one, like the Web 3 arena, and it is now that is starting to come full circle in the sense of that break learning and that people kind of starting to various and to starting to understand it.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
37:23
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's tricky. I mean, I went to so many of those panels with you and people were saying, oh, I've been doing this for a year and, because it was so new, someone who'd been doing it consistently for a year and then made them an expert, as opposed to me who had been doing it for 10 minutes as a needle fight. I'm like wait, I'm just catching up. We've only done it a year, you know, but let's book a follow up for that, because I know there's so much more to talk about. Where are you with Adaloo and what are you doing now?
Eda Lourdes
Guest
37:54
So the last two years I've been part of the Web 3 community of women and fashion and I've been working with iPhone fashion project I will get into on the next one but I always have myself designing like I will go into this but, like the earrings that I'm wearing are like a design made for that company.
38:12
They're also digital and they're all for real. So I've been able to keep designing designing not only like strategies around you know NFTs and what we could do in a community based fashion lovers but also products that are part of the brand, of the new brand, and now that I feel that, okay, I think my clients are starting to catch on and be interested on going back to designing for Adaloo and bringing some of the new products and the accessories, but tied to a community aspect and a technological aspect community as to building this community in a like, more thorough way, and then my soothing NFC chips and things like that into the handbag or the accessory, so they're tied to the blockchain somehow and then a social connection will happen between the piece and the owner and the brand.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
39:02
Oh, my God, so much more to do.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
39:04
So, edith, how can everybody follow you, learn more, reach out to you, so I Instagram and Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter at Adaloo Paris, and then I have my own kind of with my different projects at that door there. So Adaloo Paris wants to do it. Adaloo, you'll be able to find me.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
39:25
E-D-A-L-O-U. Paris. Just to make that clear, Edith, it has been an absolute pleasure. I can't wait to chat with you again. Thank you for being part of the Handbag Designer 101 podcast and we will absolutely be speaking with you again.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
39:40
Thank you, emily. It's great to be part of the handbag designer. No, kamali, I you know love at first sight, so I have the support.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
39:52
Well, listen, you're only as good as the community you support, especially in a market that is so oversaturated that if we can't work together to support each other, then there's really no point, because you can't stand out, because no one's going to be cheering for you, and that's what we're here for. So, thank you, my darling. We will talk soon. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to rate and review, and follow us on every single platform at Handbag Designer. Thanks so much. See you next time.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
00:00
Hi and welcome to the Handbag Designer 101 podcast with your host, emily Blumenthal, handbag Designer Expert and Handbag Fairy Godmother, where we cover everything about handbags, from making, marketing, designing and talking to handbag designers and industry experts about what it takes to make a successful handbag. Welcome, ada Lourdes of Ada Lou Paris to the Handbag Designer 101 podcast, so happy to have you here.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
00:30
Oh, so I'll be to come at week new again. I love our cats.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
00:35
Our chats are so good. I know we always say that our chats should be a podcast and now we have the opportunity at least to have one of them to be a podcast, because we have so much to say.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
00:47
That's right Now. This is like a such a good idea. I'm so happy you're doing this.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
00:51
Yeah, well, I'm happy we're doing this together, because this was long overdue. But just to dive right in, let's get into the nitty gritty. So you are Puerto Rican. Yes, I'm from the island of Puerto Rico. Yes, okay, bienvenidos. So why don't you tell a little bit about how you grew up, where you grew up, how you made it to the States, to Paris, and then we can get into, you know, the lovely story of the trials and tribulations and the celebrations of having your amazing handbag line.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
01:26
So I grew up in the island of Puerto Rico with my single and my aunt and I would say that I'm a normal car of the 80s. I love 80s music. I have super sentimental about that era of my life. You know you grew up in the beach, puerto Rico. You grew up with that. You know you get into the radio by then and then the TV, both sweet TV, and I always was creative because I was a dancer through it. So I've always danced, mostly jazz and kind of show performances. And then I was always like get to the talent show here, the talent, the national talent show. When I was in college I would dance at the like what is the keyboard and the Lakers game, like the national league of basketball, and that is the best job I've ever had in my life.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
02:14
I didn't know that. I did not know that. What was the team?
Eda Lourdes
Guest
02:18
So it was all of the teams, so we would go, because it was sponsored by one of the supermarkets I think it was a corner supermarket or something like that and they would like pay us $125 every week to get in a van, every Tuesday, I think, to go to some random city in Puerto Rico, town in Puerto Rico. To dance them back time. Oh, how old were you? 18, 19.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
02:45
Yeah, what did your mom say?
Eda Lourdes
Guest
02:48
Oh my gosh, she realized like the sense of where I was going in a van, like this mountain town and whatever. I mean we had dance practice. I was also a cheerleader. I went to the University of Puerto Rico. So basically my mom, as long as I was studying something and getting the grades, I'm like she will like let me do my little creative, creative, like, but she was very strict, like you got to go and study finance, like I, you know, I wanted to go to go to, I wanted to go to Broadway and dance, and she was like that's not happening, you're going to like study finance. So as long as I study finance, I will be able to do the address. And I did modeling, I did commercials, I did everything that I could because now I had a car, I could move around the city and I could just go wherever there was a casting or a dance open call or whatever.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
03:39
Yeah, as long as I was doing finance, as long as I was doing finance, so that was fine.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
03:43
So I feel that a lot of my creativity comes from that other side of me, that other kind of life that I had Right, like being 80 hours on a set and learning how they were doing things and constructing a story about one of the products that were selling, and things like that. So this is really fun, time liberating and just artistic, being able to do stuff, even if it was just my side stuff, because I was going to university to do finance Right. And, of course, I enter into a bank and I did investments and treasury for like almost 16 years.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
04:16
Were you still in Puerto Rico, where you came to the States for this.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
04:20
So in Puerto Rico. The first 10 and the last four. I was in New York City and the interesting thing is that the other day I was in Puerto Rico and a friend asked me a new appointment. That's trying to get to know me and so so with empowering women and day you know as she's like, are you, when you were a woman that was a woman banker, or were you a woman that worked marketing at a bank? Yeah, I was talking about the best question I've heard. I started laughing and I said I actually was a woman banker. We were doing banking, income funding and like IPO stuff and, like you know, the difference.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
05:04
For the bank, the perception difference of someone in finance versus someone in marketing is like night and day. I mean, I have an MBA and you could tell just from the first class who was finance undergrad and who wasn't. And I was one of those people Like I went through my entire undergrad without having to take a math class because I was a Russian, spanish marketing major of some description, until my yeah. So my senior year I took an arbitrage class thinking like oh yeah, I can just pick it up, I can't be all that hard.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
05:43
Oh, wow. And it ends. It ends. All these years later she's saying we need more women like you. Again, yeah, and I'm like, I don't like that's going to be me. Maybe yes, maybe no, we'll see. So fast forward. Then I ended up in New York City. I can't believe we never met.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
06:01
So funny, when you think about that time, that we never overlapped yeah.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
06:05
I know that was 2011 to 2014, basically, so yeah, I was at it yeah.
06:11
Yeah, and then I did investor relations for the bank. It was an asset company so I handled this connection between like very old executive management and the new group of hedge funders and 20 something finance dudes in New York. Yeah, and our investor base was mostly in like the market. So that's when I came along and I could understand the finance but also talk to people and that was the job that I loved the most being at the bank. But then in New York City, you're in New York City, so there's like films and movie sets and fashion and all those things start to get a little kind of like I should do something. Yeah, I should start. You know, maybe I don't need to be in banking. You know all my life, if I made it in banking, I'm sure gonna be able to do it in something else, right?
Emily Blumenthal
Host
07:01
So, yeah, the funny thing is, in LA everybody is an actor comma, it's like acting and. But New York, it's like everybody has hustle and day job right, or your day job and the hustle, so it's like you got to have something. So when you talk to someone and you ask them, oh, what do you do? Which is such a cliche thing still to ask? It's like, well, this is my day job, but this is what else I'm actually doing. And if you don't have that comma and it starts messing with your head like, oh, I know I've got something creative inside me. What should I be doing? Right?
Eda Lourdes
Guest
07:37
And I think it's okay to always have the hustle. I mean now that going back, you know, going forward to all of these experiences and what we'll talk about it I've realized that it's okay, it is okay to have that steady thing if you still need it or want to, but then there's so much time during the day I mean yes, yes, awesome months. It's a little bit more complicated Now. I realized that when I became a mom but it is still like the pandemic taught me that you can do everything. It's just insane. So in New York I started to go into the Garment District, all of Sevens Avenue. Learn about you know how to make a collection. I actually hire a woman, actually friends, because no, no.
08:20
I'm not very satisfied and it's actually so shadowy and, you know and funny, I should have met you instead of meeting her. But I met her sort of sense and you know, at first you feel that you don't know anything because, oh, I'm a minus person, I don't have the right to know fashion, or I don't have to write to be creative, or I don't have the right to do anything. So you really think that you need you know, it's the insurance you a lot of money. So at the beginning, when she was very helpful and it was more of a month to month thing and doing a little thing he said she did. I learned a lot about making a collection and what do? The handbag, right, so podcast. But she said to me, don't do handbags and like, but that's what I want to do. And she's like, well, it's so saturated, it is true, but start with something else, start with another accessory, you know, start with other stuff and then eventually you're going to handbags and yeah, I mean I follow the advice of that's kind of like what happened. But you know, sometimes you either to go with your gut or sometimes you have to listen to specials and balance of those that must actually go into work. And at some point she starts charging a mortgage and I'm still in the band, so I'm okay to, like you know, get rid of a few thousand, kind of like to build this collection.
09:42
But then at some point this helps forward. It starts to be oh, I charge you this month because I made a Facebook post and I'm like what? And this is why I said I'm going to learn everything. I'm gonna learn social media website. You know I do my websites, I do all the social media. You know I have to learn because this is the thing.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
10:05
Can I say that that is such a standard, typical, cautionary tale of transferring from. You know this gigantic insecurity of I'm not trained in design. I don't understand the industry. Therefore, I need to hire a whole mess of people who claim expertise and they can then charge me carte blanche whatever the heck they believe is worth it. Because, again, it's the, it's the green cost I call it. It's the cost that people can sniff out how little you know and, as a result of knowing so little, they can overcharge you.
10:40
And I've had so many designers come to me and say, oh, I'd love to work with you and hire you, and I said, okay, but I'm not free. Nobody should be free, you know like. However, they've blown all their money with people who have, you know like. I've spoken to a designer recently who doesn't have a line or a collection ready but is already hired a publicist, and it's like but you shouldn't number one, in my opinion. Again, I always claim I'm not a doctor, I'm not a lawyer. So you know lawyers, first thing they say doctors, first thing they say is like I am not your doctor, I'm not your lawyer. So this is just my opinion. My opinion is don't hire anybody on the outside until you know how to do absolutely everything, even if it's not well, or to educate yourself.
11:24
You know who are the editors that theoretically covered the brand or the idea that you think your handbag would represent, right? Who covers those kinds of stories that would fall into the demographic. So you know that when you about source someone, let alone a salesperson for boutiques or PR person for stories, that you can come to them and say have you reached out or have you followed up with XYZ? Because in my opinion, that's who we should be. And if they say no, then you know you shouldn't be working with them because they're doing you dirty. And again, it's, you know, and this is nothing that you should be ashamed of or annoyed with yourself, and I always say it's the cost of doing business, it's the sunk cost, as they say in business school, whatever sunk cost of the learning curve, where you end up losing at a minimum of five to 10,000 with just figuring it out. And that's why sharing stories like these are just so very important, right, because you should learn, learn, learn before you make, make, make, make.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
12:24
But yeah, definitely lessons learned and it's like when you hire a professional, just make sure you understand why you're hiring, a form that is like very clear between you and that other thing should answer the why Right, like one of the list of items that I would be expecting from you.
12:41
You know the amount of time that you're dedicating to the brand, etc. Etc. Yeah, you understand. Okay, so this is the cost and this is why I should be with my expectations. This is what you understand, my expectation, and she agrees to them, and then we can move forward. That that collection was done between New York and was it a handbag? Was it a handbag collection? No, it was a collection of accessories that was hats, paste, like necklaces, like I had, like lots of stuff from Paris, like how do you?
Emily Blumenthal
Host
13:14
call that lace. These are things that were seismic. Right that it didn't matter, because always the danger of moving into anything beyond handbags. You know, I always say handbags is really difficult, but there's always a way to figure it out. There's, you know, a secret sauce if you feel, oh, look at that, yeah, we like. Well, yeah, that's the film, but it's handbags. You know, it doesn't matter how big or small you are, they are size agnostic, they are the non judgmental accessory. Oh wow, but that was a dream of the keys. That's really nice.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
13:48
I gotta say there was like not very romantic. It was kind of different, you know like romantic.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
13:53
I'm already looking at that printout and that's a lot of money, like that paper, that binding, that spiral, that's like at least five brand right there the photo shoot, yeah, yeah, everything like.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
14:04
the notebook is really nice. We did three photo shoots like oh Jesus.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
14:09
One, and it's exciting to do a photo shoot for the first time. But then you're like you always have to do this, because I found myself on photo shoots my first photo shoot, for my handbag. I did it in a club. I got a promoter, he got models. The models were coked out and I'm like is this what it's supposed to be? Yeah, and that's the learning curve. So wait, so you've developed this. She's charging you an arm and a leg. At which point did you say, okay, I need to go back to business school and I'm putting you on pause, lady.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
14:40
Yeah, so that's kind of like a coin site with me, like living like me, living New York and kind of really being between the three things of San Juan, paris and New York and just starting to get like the first recognition that I'm actually changing from biking to fashion. You know kind of things like that. And I was able to sell that collection in a store in like the three. Did you sell it yourself?
Emily Blumenthal
Host
15:08
No, no, no like to a store? No, but did you sell it yourself? Did you show up with the samples to the boutique and say, hey, yeah, it's important.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
15:17
Yeah, I mean there were some different connections to like people that I knew that all of them started to have a boutique. So that's how I definitely I would say probably people that you know, like your network, knows you and they'll support you. If you know, if they align with what you're doing and what they want to show in the store, they'll definitely support you. So I started with that and started in a store in Puerto Rico also. That was the store that I used to go every Saturday to buy for the night out. So you know, there were also very supportive on me and they helped me do pop-ups and things like that.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
15:51
Steve and I just I want to point out now that may not have been the store that you worked with once your handbag line launched, because I definitely want to get straight to that. But never underestimate your local boutique, and I think so many people need to remember that. You find one store that will support you. You befriend the owner and talk to them and then get them vested in your story. Don't be a pain in the ass, but if you can develop a relationship, buy something from them at least once or twice so they don't think it's a transactional relationship and say this is I'm creating something.
16:29
If you have some time and never go on a weekend, because people always think they can show up on a weekend to sell, no, that's when they're working Show up during a dead time during the week, where they're like desperate to talk to anybody, present your stuff and say what do you think Would you buy this? How much do you think your customer would pay for it? This is the competition I think it should be. Do you agree with me and go from there, because that relationship will be your game changer, and say listen, if you place an order, if I get pressed, you will be the first stock that I will mention Exactly.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
16:59
And so 100 percent of the exactly what happened, all these things that were pressed all this time recovering me. Back then I was able to put all of these stores Whenever I spoke about it, or the journal, the newspaper, things like that. So I moved to Paris and this time I realized I'm going to have my first baby man. I'm like, okay, this is going to be difficult, but I kept going, I kept selling and promoting.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
17:23
But you knew the person you were having the baby with right. Yes, yes, oh, my God, I got joked, I knew.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
17:30
And then I say, okay, so once things are or there's still like in boutiques, I'm like, okay, so one next. And I said, well, I'm in Paris. The idea I was 36 by that point what idea would have been that I would come to study fashion. I'm at the baby king, so I had to study French before actually starting in fashion. So I studied French and then, through the Puerto Rican mafia, I've already settled Puerto Rican in Paris.
17:57
I get a fashion connection that would interview me for a job, a job at E-Roll Paris, IRO, paris, which is, you know, best leather jacket and jeans that you can actually find. And I did lots of seasons with them for wholesale, because they did four times a year of wholesale international sales and you're doing for them. So everything related to the showroom. But my clients were mostly Spanish and American and Asian. They did those three clients, which was so instrumental to just learning how different cultures buy.
18:32
You know, when you got Middle Eastern, they buy everything because they wear everything. When you buy, when you're selling to the world more laughing, they might blur and the stories behind the clothes. When you sell to America, they just need to be efficient about things that are actually sell and when you are dealing with Asians, they have a very thorough process of trying on everything on their own bodies, because they have a different shape and they're smaller than you know sometimes the models that are wearing these clothes on the runway. So that was just amazing as to how a collection was constructed, what the story behind it was, the material, why those materials were important, and I did several seasons.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
19:12
If you ever wanted to start a handbag brand and you didn't know where to start, this is for you. If you had dreams of becoming a handbag designer but aren't trained in design, this is for you. If you have a handbag brand and need strategy and direction, this is for you. I'm Emily Blumenthal, handbag designer expert and handbag fairy godmother, and this is the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass. Over the next 10 classes, I will break down everything you need to know to make, manufacture and market a handbag brand. Broken down to ensure that you will not only skip steps in the handbag building process, but also to save money to avoid the learning curve of costly mistakes.
19:53
For the past 20 years, I've been teaching at the top fashion universities in New York City, wrote the Handbag Designer Bible, founded the Handbag Awards and created the only Handbag Designer podcast. I'm going to show you like I have countless brands to create in this in-depth course, from sketch to sample to sale. Whether you're just starting out and don't even know where to start or begin, or if you've had a brand and need some strategic direction, the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass is just for you. So let's get started and you'll be the creator of the next it bag. Join me, emily Blumenthal, in the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass. So be sure to sign up at EmilyBluemethalcom slash masterclass and type in the code on cast to get 10% off your masterclass today.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
20:45
And there is a missing link in our story that I found out some point. I have your book yes, it's actually in my other office there and I don't remember how I got your book. Is that that I went to Amazon? I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember to find it. Or somebody told me about this book. It might have been that French woman that told me to buy the book. It might have been, but I cannot remember that little detail and how I started to actually follow you and follow the Independent Handbag Awards.
21:19
And then I said, hmm, like when I left New York I had gone a first to remember being told you can't do handbags, but when I left New York I did one sample in New York. So the first ever handbag that I did was in New York, oh my God. And basically there was this clutch which is very old, been a while ago, and it had a magnet and then you could change the accessories of. I mean, this is metal, but you could change the accessories of the design. And for me it was very tied to my schedule of traveling because I needed to come for the weekend, but I just had one handbag that I could carry. So then you have different straps that are chain or combat or leather, and that was the idea of that first handbag. And that first handbag was the one that I knew for the first time that I ever submitted a sketch, and then every year I would look at the categories and see which category do I see myself doing something for, and then at some point the second year goes by and then the third year is when we actually got into the award as a nominee.
22:38
I think it was the Atekevteberg category and that's where the cuckoo is born. And the cuckoo means you, who in French like cuckoo, like hello, your formal hello, and I have started using that name, like my sister in New York, and we just kept going with that name method. The first accessory should be named like cuckoo and that was a multifunctional bag, kind of going after this type of storyline which is like you're busy and you love handbags and stuff, but when you're traveling you've got to be more efficient. So that first handbag of the cuckoo this year was like a bag that you could use for a cough body and then he had four earrings here where you could just change to do back back, belt back shorter, kind of like a butt back, you know all those things or clutch. And that's where the first bag of the handbag happened to me this year when we got like the bag from like the award, like getting a Puerto Rico to be involved and voting and all that. That's when I said, ok, so maybe there's something interesting here. And it's interesting because the one that went to the final it's. This is more of the version of the sample that was made. The one that made to the final was for a line with Amy Customberg design and it was a suede kind of bronze bag. It was a rose gold medal and a cooking the world with medals and it was just more in line with Amy Customberg because it was a review we're designing for her brand. But then I realized after the award that, oh my god, the sample bag is the one that really aligns more with what I want to do, with the black and the gray leather and all that gold chain for things like that. And then it's 2019.
24:18
And due to show the handbags.
24:20
I thought so there were two. There's two bags the bag that went into the competition and my sample, and I just took photos of that bag everywhere I went as if there were 100. And the other day I am telling this story in a group of women, one that they're starting to kind of do their own stuff not really handbags but other stuff and when she hears this she was like I thought that there was 100 bags, but there were not two. There was 100 bags that you were just photographing everywhere and I'm like no, there was only two bags because at that point I haven't found manufacturing and who's going to do them or where am I going to do them?
24:58
In Paris and this is just before the pandemic I worked at a last job at Kendo, which is my last kind of official job in the fashion luxury industry in Paris, and then the pandemic started and once I'm in the pandemic I'm doing kind of like clients that I have for graphic design, web cycle, clothing, I think like that and then I said OK, we're stuck here. So I got to keep the story here. I'm going to have to find a manufacturing here. And that was the most stressful thing that ever done in my life, because even though you got the money to pay them, they say no.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
25:34
Yeah, it's so many thoughts, so one. I want to point out that how you learned early, probably not even aware of the knowledge you gained working for that showroom, because from a retail anthropological mindset of learning how people shop and how people shop differently and the needs and wants of different people is so very different and that you cannot sell the same product to different people the same way. That is such an important point, I mean, and also that no one bag you know. When people always say it's a day-to-night bag, in my opinion there's no such thing. Okay, the bag you use during the day is not the bag you're going to use at night. It's like you know what you wore the sneakers you wore all day. You want to change to something fancy or cute or pretty or put on cool sneakers. You know there's a totally different mindset. So, in recognizing what you said about, I always say smoke buys mirrors the fact that you made it look like that you were set up and had production and had a new, new and had the insight to take photos all over for the place to give the allure that, if anybody buys from you with D to C, that you were ready and what I did with boutiques before I had manufacturing is.
26:52
I made my delivery six months down the road I was like, okay, you can please in order, but it's for holiday and it was, I don't know, march. Now I had to find someone. I knew would take me some time, but I knew I should be able to get something by October, november at least I hoped so. All these key points are such good nuggets of information, just to validate of how clever you are. I want to get into you know, just to tie this all back into you finding manufacturing, how much they charge you, how much you know to you know, ripped you apart, and how this ties to Web three and what you're doing now with everything altogether. And I knew you're going back to Adolu, so let's dive in. That's such an interesting angle.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
27:38
So once I get that, you know the biggest, the most complex handbag I've ever done in my life is this first handbag for the Coupon, because I actually ended up forcing everything for that manufacturer to agree to do the back because it was so complicated, because you're designing for the first time, so you, you know that's something that you need to.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
27:56
You don't realize that every bell and whistle is going to cost you money, because every little detail is labor and labor is time, and especially dealing with the manufacturer, they can green cost, they sniff out that you don't know what the hell you're doing. So it's like I'm going to charge you triple and put you at the bottom of my to-do list, right, and that also, you know, helps you place it accordingly.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
28:16
This is that half a month from HLEO. So so now it's two major outlets that have recognized the bags, the bag. So it's just a different process for me to do the back and I made sure that I documented that well enough. Yeah, well, when people learn about the price they wouldn't like when she thinks she is, you know, yeah, and I never, never got a complaint about that price and it was almost $500. And it was a little bag and it's a tiny bag, I mean, if it's the phone, but it is like a smaller, it's not your everything bad, you know.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
28:49
And it's just. Is it just lamb skin? It's just lamb skin, yeah.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
28:54
Green leather, italian. It's nice. Yeah, it is nice, and all the components were nice. I mean, I've seen bags that have like a leather strap yeah, but I've been doing a Chanel strap, which is Right God, why did I ever do this? But at the end there's so much satisfaction that I ought to do this myself, like the bags, the chains that I understand, like the weight of this metal. All of it is so really crafty and it helped me document it so I can learn. You know, trust me, the message that this is why this is such an expensive bag.
29:30
And the second thing, before I kind of go into that, what's been, what has happened, is that I learned that once you got those clients that really love when you do, it's all a matter of adding more products. So this is the pandemia that Cuckoo is going to take seven months to make because this person is tied up with lots of handbags for all the clients. So I go to Spain and I said, okay, I want a smaller version of the Cuckoo, it is just that one mini Cuckoo, but I want to do it in some place else and another factory, because I want to make sure that I get. I have something that will come faster than this one. And then I grab the attention of people that already pre-order the Cuckoo, so they would also this one that will deliver much faster.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
30:17
You know, I think that's a super valuable point to recognize that hedge abets never depend on just one factory. I had a factory with my first order from Nordstrom. I didn't know that it was a Muslim factory not that they should have told me that, not that I would have even known to ask but the fact is I was reaching out to them like crazy during Ramadan, which I didn't know I shouldn't. I didn't even know they weren't working, and it's like reaching out to a factory during Chinese New Year like it's going to go crickets. So I not only offended this factory, I pissed them off and they threatened to not produce at all, like at all. And so it was one of those things where I was terrified and I you know every I was like oh my God, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.
31:10
I didn't know, I didn't know. Of course, I'll be respectful and you'll be holding to these factories, so it's one of those things where you're like holy shit, what am I going to do? So this learning curve is fast. So you know, put on your list like what, asking the factory what are your days that you don't work, what are the best times when you really come down when is going to be like disrupted.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
31:35
And then diversification is really good also because then you always have a input of products. If you already have a client that is interested in knowing, okay, what else are you doing? Show me that. And then I started to do storytelling behind this, all of these products, because there were still multi functional at this point.
31:54
And then mother comes along and I'm making bracelets with the X and A that I have, and I did them in gold and I put like the hearts that we use for the handbag, which comes with the key. You can take it out and use it as a network. So I started to play with my materials that I already started to be firing up. And how can this be used into another product? Because there is the demand for the product and I have the material and there's things that actually I can do in my own studio.
32:24
Here in this studio there was lots of accessories were done besides packaging things by bad From. I learned how to get all the tools that I needed to do grace, to do necklaces, you know, with all of that extra. And then all of a sudden I have three handbags with three sizes and three earrings bracelets, necklaces, so I have a whole collection that I can take into, let's say, stores. But also pop up and especially like holiday events are really good when you already have like a nice collection on an inventory. If you go to one of those like holiday events, those are really good to be able to sell everything. And that's the point where I am done with all the inventory may be just a few things.
33:10
I kept thinking the new theme of Puerto Rico and design, because I wanted to kind of fight the brand to just this craftsmanship and design aspect of the brand. But then this is when I'm like okay, it's November, december, winter is going to come, let me take a break and reassess what I want to do for the next season. And then when I stumble into Web three, listening to Clubhouse and Twitter and all of that, and then I realize, wow, this is so cool.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
33:38
Yeah, you are now a Web three expert. People bring you all over the world to speak about it. You're on platforms and panels and discussions and I'm so grateful to be connected with you within that space because you have taught me and educated me so kind of thing. We're patiently to explain the value of Web three, and NFT may or may not be a dirty word. If you could just speak to a little bit, how do you see the future of NFTs, web three with handbags and where are you with it? I'll do now, yeah.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
34:15
So, really, web three has brought me back to, but to have a relationship with you, which has been amazing after the pundit and everybody you know, so we're good place. Web three has introduced me to just a bunch of women out there that are really working hard to use blockchain technology, and this is all about blockchain technology and how are we going to use the blockchain technology for the future. And basically, fasten is one of its first messengers. Fasten is, you know, apart from crypto, which I own. Women were left behind and it led me to be okay to understand crypto, which I 2014,.
34:56
If it's finance, I don't want to hear about it. I literally said this an idiot, right. And I'm like okay, I can still learn about this. I've learned a little bit about what's happening with crypto. How is this involved? Where's the place for Fasten? And I've learned that not only there's a community of like women and men that are really ingrained into the ownership aspect of a digital asset and hide to a real asset, and I think that is so interesting because for our subject of handbags, one they can be certified that that's a handbag made by X amount of you know X brand, where it was made, you know which was materials and what has happened to the bag since it left the factory into your hands and to the next owner, if you happen to resell it. Oh my God, ada, we have it.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
35:47
We need to do a special episode specific to no. I think we need to because there's so much to speak about and it minimizes your impact and your knowledge with just like having it thrown in with a handful of sentences. So we're definitely going to have you back to talk about this in deeper detail because I think there's a lot of opportunity. In my opinion, I don't think Web 3 should be anything exclusive. My opinion to sell from Web 3 to Web 2, which also might not make sense to a lot of people is a lot more difficult than going from Web 2 to Web 3.
36:24
And I think this advent of what NFTs and you know, this kind of new future, was mistaken in assuming that I could develop a handbag brand in Web 3 and which is obviously an intangible part of what NFT stands for, and then translate that then fictional bag into something tangible that theoretically people would want. And it's impossible because you don't have that audience you know to go from. It's like a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle isn't a square. Web 3 is the rectangle, web 2 is the square. You just can't go backwards. It's too difficult. So go ahead, wrap that up and then let's hear about where you are.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
37:08
The Robin is that I've been doing this almost like the one, like the Web 3 arena, and it is now that is starting to come full circle in the sense of that break learning and that people kind of starting to various and to starting to understand it.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
37:23
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's tricky. I mean, I went to so many of those panels with you and people were saying, oh, I've been doing this for a year and, because it was so new, someone who'd been doing it consistently for a year and then made them an expert, as opposed to me who had been doing it for 10 minutes as a needle fight. I'm like wait, I'm just catching up. We've only done it a year, you know, but let's book a follow up for that, because I know there's so much more to talk about. Where are you with Adaloo and what are you doing now?
Eda Lourdes
Guest
37:54
So the last two years I've been part of the Web 3 community of women and fashion and I've been working with iPhone fashion project I will get into on the next one but I always have myself designing like I will go into this but, like the earrings that I'm wearing are like a design made for that company.
38:12
They're also digital and they're all for real. So I've been able to keep designing designing not only like strategies around you know NFTs and what we could do in a community based fashion lovers but also products that are part of the brand, of the new brand, and now that I feel that, okay, I think my clients are starting to catch on and be interested on going back to designing for Adaloo and bringing some of the new products and the accessories, but tied to a community aspect and a technological aspect community as to building this community in a like, more thorough way, and then my soothing NFC chips and things like that into the handbag or the accessory, so they're tied to the blockchain somehow and then a social connection will happen between the piece and the owner and the brand.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
39:02
Oh, my God, so much more to do.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
39:04
So, edith, how can everybody follow you, learn more, reach out to you, so I Instagram and Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter at Adaloo Paris, and then I have my own kind of with my different projects at that door there. So Adaloo Paris wants to do it. Adaloo, you'll be able to find me.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
39:25
E-D-A-L-O-U. Paris. Just to make that clear, Edith, it has been an absolute pleasure. I can't wait to chat with you again. Thank you for being part of the Handbag Designer 101 podcast and we will absolutely be speaking with you again.
Eda Lourdes
Guest
39:40
Thank you, emily. It's great to be part of the handbag designer. No, kamali, I you know love at first sight, so I have the support.
Emily Blumenthal
Host
39:52
Well, listen, you're only as good as the community you support, especially in a market that is so oversaturated that if we can't work together to support each other, then there's really no point, because you can't stand out, because no one's going to be cheering for you, and that's what we're here for. So, thank you, my darling. We will talk soon. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to rate and review, and follow us on every single platform at Handbag Designer. Thanks so much. See you next time.
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