Eight years ago I graduated from art school without ever feeling comfortable with the term 'artist.' I worked odd jobs in upstate New York to save money to visit my then-boyfriend in Holland. After a few years of back-and-forth and various career paths, I rediscovered my love for sewing and fashion. And there was only one item I wanted to focus that love on: the bag.

My first sales were made at the busy farmers markets in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. I was thrown in the deep end - selling at three markets a week and sewing new bags into the wee hours of the morning. It took a while to gain the confidence to start my own business, but once I found out it could be a way to gain residency abroad it seemed like fate.

Over the years my skills have improved and my style has evolved. However, my mission stayed the same: to combine original design and hidden function into what I think is the ultimate accessory. It's a constant, exciting challenge to design a bag that looks chique but is useful and simple at the same time.