Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Martin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio I did not have an immediate interest in fashion, I mostly put on what was comfortable and walked out the door, but one thing I did make sure of was that I had a purse in my hand. Every year on Christmas my aunt would purchase my sister and I the most fashionable handbags in which we loved and looked forward to! I would be so excited to wear them to school because to me it was my statement piece to whatever outfit I pieced together. Going to a PWI ( predominantly white institution) this excitement grew slim because I was often questioned on whether or not my handbags were “real” or not. This of course bothered me because why is it so questionable for someone like me to have a real handbag? It wasn’t until I graduated from high school and attended the Illustrious Morgan State University in Baltimore Maryland where my outlook changed. I vividly remember my first few weeks on campus. I was in awe of how confidently individuals like me wore not only their handbags, but their clothes as well. I wasn’t getting questioned, instead I was being complimented and this changed the game for me. My interest in fashion grew because I realized this was so much more to us. We chose to wake up everyday to not only get our education but to make a fashion statement while doing so, unapologetically. I began researching fashion more, the root of fashion and the culture behind it because I knew I wanted to contribute, I knew I wanted to create statement pieces for everyone. Shortly after graduating I started an online clothing boutique, it was nice but I wanted to create something of more meaning and that’s where BALDWIN ERA luxury handbags came from. Baldwin is actually my family last name so to me this represents everything I am and where I come from. The Baldwins are authentic, luxurious, smart, and well rounded entrepreneurs. Along with the meaning of the name came the concept and meaning of our slogan ” a new era”. This slogan means to accept fashion as being more inclusive while also being exclusive, a new era of fashion where black owned luxury brands are normalized. My goal for my brand is to become the largest black owned luxury brand.
Ashley , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Baldwin Era is a luxurious handbag brand that creates the most luxurious limited edition handbags while creating a brand of purpose. Baldwin Era specializes in creating handbags that become that statement piece for each and every individual. We take pride in being a luxury black owned brand and aim to become the biggest black owned luxury brand. We have so many new bags being released we are very excited to show the world this new era of luxury, an inclusive era of fashion.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn was the notion that when you start a business everyone ( Including family) will support you. This is a false pretense that I believe many will not understand until they become business owners themselves. Everyone will not support you, many will be envious of you just for having the courage to start, but as a business owner and someone who believes in their business you have to push forward no matter what.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
Customer service is everything with our brand, we take pride in having very quick response times as well as being open and honest with our customers throughout the purchasing process. Due to our customer service our customers feel more like friends and can ask us anything in reference to their orders, this makes them feel more comfortable shopping with us and they often return.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.baldwinera.com
- Instagram: baldwinera_
- Facebook: baldwinera
Image Credits
Tommy Flanagan & Cherie Arvae