Article Text:
When, at age 7, Holly Aiken insisted on making her
own clothes, it was clear there were two designers
in the Aiken household. "She used to lay down
on a big piece of paper and have her brother trace
around her and make a pattern, and do it in fabric
and wear it to school," says renowned childrenswear
designer Patsy Aiken of her daughter's first forays
into fashion.
"I couldn't tell her how weird it looked because
she was very determined."
Determined, indeed. Now 29, Holly is poised for a
real fashion breakthrough with Holly Aiken Bags, the
company she launched about two years ago.
The totes, purses, diaper bags and clutches in buttery
soft vinyl carry her signature look: bold colors trimmed
in black webbing with funky details. The bags are
refined yet durable, combining functionality and panache.
Others agree.
New York magazine in March featured the bags in its
style pages, an endorsement that had Holly filling
orders from as far away as Tokyo.
"It's casual urban, that's what I call my style,"
she says.
With her reputation spreading by word of mouth, Holly
travels this week to the San Francisco International
Gift Fair, where she'll introduce her bags to a broader
market. Boutiques in North Carolina, South Carolina,
California, New York, Georgia, Massachusetts and Virginia
-- as well as Tokyo and London -- now carry them and
they're also available on several Web sites. So far,
she says, she's sold about 3,000 of her bags.
The gift fair offers more opportunity. "I need
to take it to the next level," Holly says.
About 24 years ago, her mother started a company with
a somewhat fuzzier game plan. Patsy's designs were
simply an offshoot of her family life: She began making
clothes for her own toddlers and eventually expanded.
Based in Raleigh, Patsy Aiken Designs, run by Patsy
and her husband, Joel, is now nationally recognized.
Patsy oversees design and manufacturing, while Joel,
a former Navy pilot, handles finance, planning and
software development.
Parents and daughter share warehouse offices off Hargrove
Road; the space buzzes with creativity and commerce.
Side by side, their work reveals different approaches
to design. Holly's modern bags stand in contrast to
her mother's traditional styles.
The appeal of Patsy's designs is easy to quantify.
Charming. Adorable. Sweet. Precious. All these adjectives
leap to mind when viewing her embroidered children's
clothes.
Of her daughter's work, Patsy says: "Her style
is much more contemporary. It's in keeping with her
whole sleekness." Holly's bags, she says, have
an elusive quality.
"People don't know why they like them, but they
like them," she says.
Mom, naturally, carries one. Everywhere, the little
bag is greeted with admiration. "People are sort
of mesmerized by them, by the look."
Patsy attributes Holly's more off-beat style, in part,
to a worldly upbringing. Holly traveled as a child,
living in California, where Patsy started her company,
and she has also lived in New York City.
Holly attended Millbrook High School in Raleigh and
N.C. State University, where she studied art and design.
From the beginning, she saw design as a profession;
her mother -- perhaps more typical of her generation
-- saw it first as a hobby.
Still, making bags wasn't Holly's first goal. In college
she was exploring metal and woodworking when she developed
carpal tunnel syndrome, which made the work difficult.
Wondering what to do next, she began fooling around
on one of her mother's old sewing machines and cranked
out her first handbag.
A roommate carrying an early model discovered their
appeal. "I didn't realize it was that unique,
and she was like, 'Everyone loves this,' " Holly
says.
After working primarily in black -- still her anchor
color -- Holly broadened her color palette, incorporating
oranges, pinks, blues and greens in surprising combinations.
She added pieces such as wallets and guitar straps
and prepared to make a push for a bigger market.
Now, experts say, her style may be right on time.
Lots of color and bold, modern prints are expected
to dominate the spring 2004 handbag season, says Ann
Marie Meissner, a ladies accessories specialist with
Henry Doneger Associates , a fashion trend forecasting
group in New York. Jellies and plastics will be hot
handbag materials, a trend that Holly's sleek vinyl
could capitalize on.
Despite their different styles, the two designers
share some qualities, as mothers and daughters often
do.
Both dislike the marketing and sales aspects of their
work, areas that Joel Aiken -- along with Weston Aiken,
Holly's only sibling -- spearheads for them .
There's also mutual admiration.
"She's very hardworking ," Holly says of
her mother. "My father and she are very dedicated
to what they do. "
"She has perfect taste," Patsy says of Holly.
"We're all a little intimidated by her sometimes."
Holly Aiken bags are available at Hollyaiken.com.
They are available locally at:
- Main and Taylor Shoe Salon
424 Woodburn Road, Raleigh
- dilly dally
6675 Falls of Neuse Road,Raleigh
- dilly dally
441 Daniel Road, Raleigh
Bag prices range from $40 to more than $160, depending
on style and store.
Caption:
Holly Aiken, left, and Patsy Aiken share warehouse
offices off Hargrove Road.
Staff Photos by Corey Lowenstein
Copyright 2003 by The News & Observer Pub. Co.
Record Number: hjswdd89 |
