We recently connected with Danielle Bernard and have shared our conversation below.

Danielle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

When I started my business, my goals were to make handbags in unique designs, at affordable prices, while following a made-to-order process that will limit over production. I also just wanted to make items out of love. This has allowed me to connect with so many customers in such warm and heartfelt ways. When I started out in 2017, I had a goal of using leftover scrap pieces and minimizing waste as much as possible. I started sewing when I was twelve and spent my highschool years repurposing clothing. So I knew this had been an important value of mine and it was only fitting to incorporate it into my business. In 2019, I started taking hide scraps from other projects and weaving pieces together to craft into bags. My woven bags have become my best sellers. I also purchase dead stock hides and cut around imperfections then find ways of using the imperfect pieces by quilting patterns on them. I will repurpose leather garments into bags as well. I’m making one right now, the customer had a beloved leather jacket from her aunt that doesn’t fit and so we are making it into a quilted kiss lock bag.

Each design I make starts with a rather simple concept. My puffer buckets started with a comical beehive image in my brain. But alongside the simple concept, I can also remember what I was feeling, thinking, and where I was in my life when I made each and every one of my designs. Sometimes I write little journal entries on my patterns to remind myself. So when I get an order for a certain design and I reach for the pattern I can remember where I’ve been and how far I have come. I like to think this sets me apart from the impersonal aspects of the fashion industry.

I think I mostly bring a ‘from my hands to yours” concept that customers appreciate. They know I’ve put care and thoughtfulness into their bag. I’ve met so many wonderful people, heard so many stories, and learn about everyone’s unique self expression through my business. It’s really been a gift to connect in these ways.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have always loved fashion as a form of self expression and tender respect. When I was a kid I was very introverted and unsure of myself so I always used fashion as a way to communicate. I studied fashion design after highschool but ended up in interior design for most of my twenties. My husband was offered a job in Paris and we decided to live there for three years and that’s where my love for creating art was reignited. I taught myself to cook, went to museums, and shows and then started painting. I was living the bohemian life my childhood self yearned for.

When we came back I decided I needed to create more and so I pulled out my sewing machine and just started sewing until late mornings, I was addicted to my machine. I first made kids costumes (my kids were toddlers at this time) then I made blouses and wool coats. And then one holiday season I decided to make my relatives bags as gifts. They loved them and then their friends starting inquiring about purchasing and it really just snowballed from there.

I have two industrial walking machines that I sew my bags with I also saddle stich when needed. I opened my web shop in 2020. I also sell wholesale and can be found in local stores as well as a few others nationwide. My bags are modern with some vintage or classic elements.
I do custom colors of current designs and customers reach out to me about that all the time. I also customize strap lengths at no charge to accommodate all heights and sizes.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I manufacture everything I sell. I’m always looking for new tools or techniques to fine tune my processes. I love learning new ways of doing things. Sometimes it’s frustrating, I will spend days on a new design only to realize the whole thing doesn’t work but I’ve learned to give myself grace over the years. You have to make trash before you get to the good stuff and even if something didn’t work out I still learned something either about myself or the process.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I’m still working on making this business my full time career. I work with a local tailor shop and repair their leather goods on the side. So when I’m not making bags I’m either relining leather jackets, relining leather bags or tailoring leather garments etc. I like to bring things back to life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.daniellebernarddesign.com
• Instagram: @daniellebernarddesign

Image Credits
Photography Emily Kovacic Photography Courtney Bedillion