S9 Ep10 EMILY BLUMENTHAL: handbag industry and design expert - on vintage handbags and history, dupes and trademarks, and getting her designs on Sex and the City.

Mar 31, 2025

On today’s show, we’re chatting with handbag industry and design expert, Emily Blumenthal, who is the founder of The Handbag Awards and National Handbag Designer Day, and professor of entrepreneurship at FIT, and host the Handbag Designer 101 podcast.

This episode is all about – you guessed it! – vintage handbags, including the story of how Emily got her original handbag designs on Sex and the City, and so much other great vintage handbag lore. I think you’re really gonna love it –  so let’s dive right in! 

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• [2:29] Growing up with a dad who worked in New York’s Garment District
• [6:06] Designing handbags while hanging out behind the DJ booth at the clubs in college.
• [9:45] How she got her handbag everywhere – including Sex and the City! – by hustling.
• [15:34] Developing a deep knowledge of handbag history while hosting The Handbag Awards. 
• [19:55] So much design inspiration is taken from vintage! 
• [26:30] On “dupe” culture and trademarks.
• [30:01] How fast fashion has changed the handbag industry.
• [33:45] On the concept of vintage “It” bags.

EPISODE MENTIONS: 

• Handbag Designer 101 Substack newsletter
• The Handbag Designer 101 Podcast
• @handbagdesigner on Instagram
• Emily’s video on dupe culture
• Her letter on ‘getting ahead of the dupe’
• The Sex and the City scene
• The History of Women’s Handbags Part 1, Two, Three, and Four
• The Armani Privé post
• The story of Hermè, Henry Ford, and the zipper
• The talk with the United States Patent & Trademark Organization (USPTO) on patents
• Handbags to look for when you’re vintage shopping

LET’S CONNECT: 

• 📸Instagram: @emilymstochl
• 🐦Threads: @emilymstochl
• 🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
• 📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/ 
• 🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod 

SPECIAL THANKS: 

A special thanks goes out to my Patron Insiders – your support makes Pre-Loved Podcast possible!

• Patty Weber
• Kathy Brand
• Lisa of Queenie & Pearl
• Lucille of Galipette Vintage
• KT 
• Lydia Welp
• Anastacia Banicke of Goods & Provisions
• Michael A.
• Megan Morris
• Jennifer
• Alana Rivero