Kate Falchi, daughter of iconic handbag designer, Carlos Falchi, carries on her Dad’s work with their family brand and gives it an even more modern twist…..easy she says as he “taught me everything!”
It didn’t take long into our conversation at Elizabeth Anthony, where her P.A. and Trunk Show was held last week, that I felt that Kate Falchi and I had struck a chord of familiarity. Kate exhibited the characteristics that I cherish in people…warmth, passion, talent that exuded in all that she discussed, smart business sense and above all, a true devotion to her father, the designer, and appreciation of his talent that she was determined would live on even stronger than before. (Carlos Falchi recently passed away from a short bout with brain cancer in March of this year) For me, I had the added plus of having spent a couple of solid hours of chatter with her famous dad a few years back at a charity event I participated in with him where we spent a couple of hours, sitting in a handbag department at another retailer and just talked! I was in awe of him, first I am a long-standing client and fan, a Falchi Gal, I called myself. I was taken by his openness, his honesty, humor and the warmth of his talents and felt that same connection and appreciation for him that I was feeling with his daughter…..both visits were very special!
So, now some of my conversation with Kate Falchi….
RP: First, before we get to you, tell me some background info on your Dad?
KF: Well, the brand, Carlos Falchi, is 50 years old. Dad was born in Brazil of Italian and Brazilian descent. After a Brazillian coop, he moved to Florida, then up to New York’s Grossingers and finally to NYC where he got a job at Max’s Kansas City! (yikes, I remember that place!) My grandmother made wedding dresses and taught him to hand-sew. He lived next to a leather store in East Village, took scraps and made leather pants for big musicians of the time such as Miles Davis, Elvis, Tina Turner, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Hendrix and more.
RP: How did he get his first real break in the business?
KF: The first of each month, at Henri Bendels, Geraldine Stutz (one of my personal idols), would see new talent…he brought in many, many pants in a great deconstructed Hobo bag that he had made and she immediately said….”fine, with the Hippie clothes, I want that bag and can you make me 20 in a week?” He did, of course and he was on his way! Having someone with her talent and amazing eye recognize your talent was the best you could hope for in those days….ask Ralph Lauren, Diane von Furstenburg and so many others that were known as Gerri’s “Bendel’s Babies”……some of the great days of Retailing!
RP: At what point did your Dad consider himself a brand and really spread his wings?
KF: His bags, were, of course for sale in Bendels, but then he began to sell at Marshall Fields, Saks and Neiman Marcus, where he met my Mom. She was a fan and also worked in designer relations for Neiman’s, was partially Italian, from Dallas Texas and the rest is history with those two….married for over 40 years. So Kate, is a little bit Brazilian and a little big Texan if you can imagine…..get this, she went to Camp Waldermere here in Texas!
RP: So now about Kate…tell me your background in education, first and what prepared you for work with your Dad? When did you start with the company?
KF: Well, I basically grew up in the company. On summer’s off from school, I worked the line. I started sketching when I was 8 yrs. old and knew that I always wanted to be a designer like my Dad. I went to Trinity College in Connecticut and Dad & Mom had a rule that my sister and I had to work at least two years outside of the family business to really learn how to start out from the bottom up. I worked in D.C., came home and went to work for my Dad during the day and studied and got my Masters at Parsons at night.
The Folio Clutch in caiman can fit a laptop and includes a cell pocket.
RP: How did you get started actually working the brand with your Dad?
KF: We launched our first collection together at Bergdorf Goodman. I worked on everything with my Dad and learned so much about conceptualizing, laying out skins, quality of skins. The last 3 years were amazing in how much he taught me. Everything was done for the Carlors Falchi brand, which had gone global at that time. The only collection that was truly something I did on my own was the Graffiti collection, which I still do today.
RP: Future of Carlos Falchi Handbags, where do you see it going? How are you modernizing it and what categories, if any, do you see as a possibility in your future?
KF: First of all, I am modernizing the collections somewhat but Daddy was always a very forward thinker on his own and was always taking the brand out there a notch. The Brand is ‘so rich’. We hated that bags would get pidgeon-holed into a specific style, so I am playing off of my sculpture background now to create some unusual pieces and different details in the bags to make them look new and modern. Dad was known for his collages or piecing of different skins. We are letting that rest awhile and ‘celebrating the skins for what they are. Looking into beautiful folds, asymmetric detailing and simplicity of design’.
As far as other categories go….we already do some belts, should do more and there are many requests for us to branch out into the jewelry business…..we will see what our future holds.
The Cigarette Bag in Python….love this bag, have one of my own in smaller length; this one is the ultimate, very cool bag!
The Weekender….can be done in different sizes, skins and colors; some of them are so large and so deliciously soft you could just crawl up inside and go to sleep in them!
Fringe is everywhere, including at Falchi, in metallics or black leather; The Rosh Bag, in Caiman comes in large and small sizes.
Kate Falchi’s Graffiti collection……all hand-painted and one-of-a-kinds that she works on constantly at home or on the road.
Kate Falchi, at Elizabeth Anthony, a specialty store that does particularly well with her brand. Here she is with her fabulous weekender bags that range in price from $8,000 to $30,00 are spectacular and always the hit of her shows…..to only have one of my own! I’d truly be, then, the ultimate Falchi Gal!