When I created editorial content for Anthony Luciano I would first create a tightly edited collection of bags I deemed fit for a cohesive story from his vast array of bespoke accessories.

Then I sometimes would work in his colorful personality. In this case, we used the vice of Italian food - cappuccino, pastries, pasta, vino, and construction workers on break.

The result was sumptuous.

DO YOU NEED HELP MERCHANDISING YOUR PRODUCT LINE OR CAPTURING CONTENT FOR YOUR MARKETING PURPOSES? I CAN DO ALL OF THAT. CONTACT ME.

Once upon a time, I lived in a handbag factory far far from home. I ate Chinese food every day, designed so many handbags, and learned about production on a massive scale in China.

I met a woman named Alfie who ran a leather handbag factory and we created our namesake brand: Christie Alfie.

It was a brand straight from my imagination and I had full creative license. It was playfully sophisticated with details right down to SIM cardholders in the wallets (since it was 2007).

It was a hit in countries all over the world. It was carried at Blue Bag in Soho, NYC; boutique in Japan; Siebu Department store in Hong Kong; Athens, Greece; New Orleans and the shop at Brooklyn Museum. A reporter, Bonnie Wu, from WGSN called the collection the best collection of handbags she ever covered at the APLF Fashion Access trade show in Hong Kong. —- That felt really good.

WANT TO PICK MY BRAIN ABOUT HOW TO START YOUR LIFESTYLE BRAND? LET’S TALK.

OR JUST BOOK AN HOUR WITH ME RIGHT HERE.

Before social media and the explosion of the information age, there was good old-fashioned PR.

Was it good? We (designers) were at the mercy of the PR person and the editor if we ever wanted coverage beyond the four walls of the studio.

Today there are paid influencers, personal websites and social media accounts that have forever changed this landscape.

From the day I began a fashion blog in 2009, I loved the democratization of the new world of self-publishing. Yet, now in this explosion of content, we realize the importance of a well-trained journalist and editor to provide worthy content for your precious time albeit with inherent biases.

More than ever we need to understand the implications of opinions vs fact.

But the fact of the matter here is that during my time designing, my creations landed in the glossies and red carpets. You can be the judge if they are worthy of your time :)

Bonnie Wu from WGSN stopped by my booth at a Hong Kong Trade show in 2007 displaying my namesake brand, Christie Alfie, and told me “This is the most creative and thoughtful collection I have ever covered.”

I was pleased with that.

IF YOU WANT ADVICE ON STARTING YOUR LIFESTYLE BRAND OR A STRATEGY TO MARKET IT, I’M YOUR PERSON. LET’S TALK.

Anthony’s summer 2017 collection was made from Italian Linen and European sack clothes so I wanted to photograph them in dingy dirty places.

This model was such a good sport. I had a vision of a bathing suit in the subway… she didn’t flinch. The New Yorkers didn’t flinch either.

BTW, this session we pre “Influencers in the Wild”.

DO YOU NEED A STYLIST CONTENT CREATOR FOR YOUR BRAND? OR DO YOU NEED A SOLID BRAND IDENTITY? THAT’S WHAT I DO. GET IN TOUCH.

This is where I learned what a “Start-up” is. It’s like a small business except started by power players with serious “decks” and a strategic investor pitch. I learned ALOT of new vocabulary during this time.

1 Atelier is a Start-Up Luxury handbag company that is redefining luxury by providing customized, high-end products through a virtual atelier.

Winner of 2016 HBS New Venture Competition and named one of the Most Innovative Companies of 2017 by Fast Company.

What did I do?

I was the glue.

Design & Marketing - Developed our brand bible aligning to the Tone & Manner outlined by the creative director across all channels from leather goods, photoshoots, web copy, and packaging to marketing materials

Factory Buildout & Product Development - sourced artisans, machines, and supplies to build our atelier and managed relationships with vendors to get proper materials, solve technical issues, execute product, and hit target pricing

Executive Assistant - work with CEO daily to define business strategy such as product development timeline, selling strategies, and marketing campaigns.

I also had a baby a week after we launched a much-delayed website. So I sort of had twins.

WANT TO PICK MY BRAIN ABOUT STARTING YOUR LIFESTYLE BRAND? LET’S TALK

OR ARE YOU READY NOW? BOOK ONE HOUR RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE.

After years of branding fashion labels, creating content (bags), I now apply these lessons to the landscape of digital content marketing.

*More stories to come soon!

In the meantime visit my Creative Marketing Agency Website here.

Going into Anthony Luciano’s studio in the NYC garment district felt like walking into a storybook.

One felt fortunate to be in it among so much beauty and craft.

Here I was allowed to capture him at work and pieces of his beautiful collection to use as part of his own online marketing.

DO YOU NEED A STYLIST TO MAKE YOUR STUFF LOOK CRAZY ATTRACTIVE? I STYLE, PRODUCE, AND PHOTOGRAPH. LET’S TALK.

The Pink Powder Room was a quick and inexpensive revamp of a room whose only other option was a gut renovation - it was so ugly.

It was faded pistachio green with a vanity seemingly from the sales rack at Home Depot and no distinguishing decor.

For under $100 I designed and transformed this room with paint, cheetah decals, a plant, a discarded brass frame mirror, and a printed shower curtain.

It’s exciting to go to the bathroom.

WANT ME TO DESIGN A ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE? OR YOUR SHOP? LET’S TALK

FYI - I worked for three years during and after university at an interior design firm.

Kustawii is a project in Nairobi, Kenya.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story :)

In the summer of 2018 I dressed the model up in an unbuttoned white cotton shirt, tapestry and a cowboy hat.

She was accessorized with the Anthony Luciano bespoke Americana handbag collection of old glory printed vintage leathers.

It was a hot day, but so were the photos.

Styled, produced and shot by me.

DO YOU NEED CONTENT FOR YOUR BRAND BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START?

CONTACT ME. I’LL KNOW WHERE TO START.

Travelling has been an obsession of mine ever since the B-52s released “Roam if You Want To” in 1989.

So when I had a baby, he came along for the ride and I wrote about it. Then I wrote about everything parenting.

While pregnant and when my son was very young I regularly contributed to NYC mom platforms covering fashion, travel, holistic care and religion.

Platforms:

Mother.ly

Well Rounded

Red Tricycle

Tinybeans

My Personal Blog

IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME OR MY CREATIVE AGENCY TO WRITE SOMETHING FOR YOUR BUSINESS, CONTACT ME!

IF YOU NEED MORE EXAMPLES OF MY PROFESSIONAL WORK, CONTACT ME!

When I began working with Beirn it was late 2007 and we were getting hot. Beirn was carried by the best - Henri Bendels, 5th floor of Bergdorf, Lane Crawford, and Harvey Nichols.

Then the fall of 2008 hit, ugh.

But Beirn remained a necessary luxury with snakeskin totes coming in at $350 instead of the typical python tote for $1000. We were affordable and remained cool. Talk about timing the market just right.

The magazines & red carpet loved us too.

This job got me all the way to Bali where I learned about cottage industry production. In Bali, they value time over money which was a nice change of pace from NYC and China.

The original inspiration for the brand hails from Bali where the line continues to draw inspiration from its laid-back lifestyle and year-round resort season.

DO YOU NEED A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF YOUR LIFESTYLE BRAND? LET’S CHAT.

Remember when JCPenny, one of America’s most famed department stores, attempted a huge facelift in 2012? I remember it well because I was right in the middle of it.

I was hired as a handbag designer to create a boutique-style collection of handbags inspired by the Art Deco Monet Jewelry collection established in 1928 - Monet has given millions of women the chance to look gorgeous, glamorous, and feel good on a budget.

It was a great fit for my design aesthetic as I cut my teeth in design at a luxury atelier in the Garment District and loved the glam nature of the brand.

Nick Wooster was the newly hired design director over all design as part of the push to make JCP a designer department store, but I only met Nick once. My work on this brand included everything from seasonal storyboarding, hardware creation, bag design, development and selling it to the buyer.

We designers worked our butts off. We used to call it “grinding away” when we sat at our desks for days creating collections, hardly coming up for air.

It was of course a moment of growth in design for me, but more so an opportunity to learn about business watching celebrated CEOs & design directors stumble and make catastrophic mistakes with a historic company.

But isn’t the Monet collection beautiful?

IF YOU NEED DESIGN EXPERTISE OR CONSULTING TO BUILD YOUR LIFESTYLE BRAND, LET’S TALK.

In New York City most apartments are small. This is common knowledge. And this is how a walk-in closet on a second-floor brownstone was converted to a baby nursery.

This room already had beautiful picture molding and a large window even it was only about 20 square feet. Since I love color and babies don’t deserve a sterile white nursery, this room was painted Nantucket Fog - a sophisticated light blue-grey.

Ikea to the rescue with floor to ceiling storage ala a pole and shelving system.

For decor, baby toys are decoration enough with all of the bright books, stuffed animals, and playful robes. The only non-toy decor added was an animated horse head since the baby’s astrological sign was a horse with a frame procured from a Park Slope stoop.

It was a cozy place for sleeping, getting fresh nappies, and watching the JFK flight path in the huge window. It was even published :)

NEED ME TO DESIGN YOUR SPACE?

DOES YOUR IRL WORKSPACE NEED TO MATCH YOUR ONLINE BRAND? I CAN DO THAT.