HARPER'S BAZAAR OCTOBER 2006 article
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(source: HARPER'S BAZAAR OCTOBER 2006)
HOTTEST, NEWEST, LATEST
Fall's Best New Bags
Marc Jacobs alum Joy Gryson launches a line of bags that are sure to hit It status. By Jenny Levin
It's easy to tell when a bag is made by someone who actually carries one: It's sturdy but not so hefty that it causes backaches; it's functional, so you can tote around everything you need, yet it doesn't have that "practical" look. Most importantly, it's chic, cool, and classic enough to be carried this season and, dare we say it, the next. One look at (and lift of) designer Joy Gryson's new bags and you'll know that she's an expert on them, not only because she worked at Marc Jacobs for three years (eventually as director of design and development of accessories), as well as at Calvin Klein and Coach, but also because she's a busy, do-it-all woman. At 34, she balances being a mom to a small child with running an accessory-design consulting firm with her husband, and now she is launching her own namesake collection.
"I've created something I'd want to wear," says the Manhattan-based designer. "There was a void in the market--just tons of embellishment. How much stuff can you put on a bag? I'm a little more simplistic, a little more understated. I wanted a Gryson bag to be something people are going to appreciate over time." The bags in her debut fall line, which will be available at major stores including Barneys and Neiman Marcus, could find a place on any woman's arm. They come in soft, slouchy styles with downtown appeal and in more structured, ladylike versions, all in workable sizes. "She nailed the perfect bag," says Jennifer Mankins, of New York's Bird boutiques. "The leather is great, the colors are timeless, the styles are cool but not trendy." And details like braided handles and vintagelike hardware make the bags stand out from the ever-growing pack of accessory newcomers. As a sweet touch, each style is named after Gryson's daughter (Olivia), a niece, or a friend's daughter, and the name is inscribed on a brass tag. Says Gryson, "I call the bags 'my girls.' It's something personal to me." Sounds like a true labor of love.
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(Pictures)
The designer, in her TriBeCa neighborhood, with her Sophie bag. Mayle top, $515. 212-625-0406. Gryson bag, $825. neimanmarcus.com
Gryson Lexi bag, $755. Bird, Brooklyn, NY; 718-797-3774
Gryson Olivia bag, $855. Berdorf Goodman; 888-774-2424
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Here are pics:
) Please excuse the mess, I'm doing some cleaning.
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harpers oct. issue
