It's hard to find handbags at a great quality and price point these days. Many brands only make pleather, or charge hundreds of dollars for bags that can't be used every day. Kathy Karadza, founder of Katerina NYC, decided she wanted to change that.
Her handbags are stylish without compromising on practicality. Made from reclaimed leather scraps, the bags are high quality while at a fair price point. We chatted with Kathy to learn more about how she started her business, her design process, and what's next for her brand.
Q: Tell me about yourself! How did you begin this business?
A: I grew up in New York City, and lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn. I studied costuming and set design in college and then worked in costumes for Broadway and TV. There’s a lot of downtime during productions, so during my free time, I started to make the bags from leftover costume pieces.
Some coworkers expressed interest in buying them, and then I learned how to make leather bags and took a few classes to hone my skills. As the interest grew, I tried out selling at local markets and then the business started to take off from there!
Then I worked in costumes for Broadway shows and started making handbags backstage during my downtime using leftover costume fabric. My coworkers asked if they could buy the handbags or place orders for handbags, then I started selling at artist markets and calling local boutiques to show them my work in the hopes they would carry my designs. At that time, I started learning how to make leather bags from books and eventually took a few leatherwork classes at FIT. So, that is how my hobby eventually became a small business.
Kathy's studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Q: What was it like balancing both jobs when you were first starting?
A: The jobs fed each other. Being around that creative environment and with creative people was important for the growth of the business. When I was working in costuming and making bags, I would either work all day making bags and then work on Broadway at night, or I would come home at midnight after working a show and sew into the night until like four in the morning. I can’t do that anymore, I’m passionate but not that passionate! When you’re just starting it’s different. Now I need to sleep!
Q: Were there new skills that you had to learn that you didn’t already have from costuming?
A: It’s pretty similar, but working with leather is very different from working with fabric. It took a lot of practice to not make mistakes. Once you cut leather or sew into it, the holes are permanent, which is not the case with fabric. There’s less flexibility.
Kathy's studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Q: You now have a studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn. What made you decide to grow your business?
A: I love it! It makes me happy. It’s a lot of work, but everything is, and I enjoy doing it. It was an easy decision to keep going and turn this into a big part of my career as a creative.
Q: How did you decide which styles to make?
A: At first there was no organization, whatsoever. I was just happy to be creating. I was making a lot of one-of-a-kind pieces and later decided to narrow my selection down. Often now I test new silhouettes out and if people like them, I’ll make more. You don’t always know what people are going to like, so I just make what I like and see what happens.
When it comes to what colors to use, I occasionally get requests from people, but I also love creating bags in bright colors. Many customers come to me because they like bright colors and those aren’t as easy to find. I feel like wearing colored accessories makes people feel happy.
Of course, living in New York, black is a staple color that I always carry.
Q: Why do you use reclaimed leather?
A: The price point is one reason. I want to be able to offer pieces that are made well and reasonably priced. Reclaimed leather comes from reputable brands that don’t use certain pieces because there may be a small blemish in a corner. A lot of the leather is beautiful, maybe it’s just not up to their perfect standards.
Also, working in my studio and seeing all of the waste that’s created didn’t sit well with me. Using reclaimed leather is a way to prevent waste and reuse. I also give away my scraps to students or other crafters.
The Bento Bag in the studio.
Q: The Bento Bag and Sling Bag are two of your main offerings that we carry in-store and online. How did these two bags come to be?
A: I’ve been making both of these bags for a while, and over time they became my most popular. I’ve had people ask for a crossbody sling-style bag that was bigger. It’s a pretty versatile bag — cyclists, moms, everyone can benefit from being hands-free. That’s where the Sling Bag came to be.
The Bento Bag is like origami, there was a lot of trial and error to get the dimensions right at first. I saw a Japanese pattern for a pouch that tied, and I found inspiration for the shape from that.
Q: How did you start working with Meg?
A: I’m a member of MadeInNYC, last year they sent out a list of local stores that were looking to carry products by local makers. I submitted my business, Meg thought we’d be a good match, and that’s how we started working together.
Q: Can you tell me more about your partnership with Shatterproof?
A: Shatterproof is a non-profit organization that raises funding and awareness for addiction recovery services. They also offer free resources to those struggling with addiction. On the hangtags of my bags, I have their information, as well as on my website, and I donate a portion of my profits to them every year.
People who are close to me have been affected by addiction, and it can happen to anyone. There’s such a stigma attached to addiction and mental health support for those struggling is lacking in this country. It’s something that I feel strongly about and would like to try and help raise funding and awareness for within my small business.
The Bento Bag in Black.
Q: Where do you see the brand evolving from here?
A: I’m slowly expanding into more stores, taking it one day at a time. I tested out some Turkish cotton gauzed scarves last summer that I ended up selling out of quickly, so I think I’m going to branch out and do more accessories. This spring I’ll also be doing a denim bag and a beach bag, so keep your eye out for that!
I’ve also been thinking about leather scarves for the winter, possibly wool in the middle with leather trim…I’m still experimenting with it.
Q: Where can people learn more about you and your business?
A: My website is https://katerina-nyc.com/. You can also find me on Instagram @nyckaterina.