Talking clutch performance with Brett Heyman

Clutches, in all of their sequined fabulousness, have torn their fair share of shawls and snagged many an evening gown over the decades.
Enter the pearlescent, vintage-inspired Edie Parker line. Instead of sparkly decor that's appliquéd, these beauties have their shine inlaid into the acrylic cases.
But it's the edgy sayings in Edie Parker-stylized script - dope, wild, free, and my favorite '80s exclamation, word - that take the accessories beyond Judith Leiber-apropos to millennium glamour.
"I'm just a cheeky person," said the brand's CEO and creative director, Brett Heyman, who lives with her husband and two children in New York.
Despite hefty price tags - $800 to $2,000 - Heyman insists pretty-hued handbags aren't just for galas. These clutches are for ladies who don't mind carrying the same purse to work they might tote to brunch or the symphony.

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Heyman was one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America Award given out earlier this month, and her Edie Parker bags have a high-profile following.
Kate Hudson was the first A-lister spotted with one at the 2011 Met Gala. Other stars include Diane Kruger, Katy Perry, Solange Knowles, and Lupita Nyong'o. And Oprah Winfrey is pictured inside the December issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, holding a shiny, cherry-red custom Edie Parker with Oprah written in gold.
Heyman, 34, met with shoppers at Saks Fifth Avenue in Bala Cynwyd this month. Then, before she was whisked off to the Neiman Marcus in King of Prussia Mall, we talked.
Question: What is your fashion background?
Answer: I worked in public relations for both Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana. But I always wanted to do something creative professionally. After I had my daughter, I decided I'd give it a try. (The Edie Parker handbag line is named after Heyman's daughter, who in turn is named after the first wife of Jack Kerouac.) We launched the brand in 2010.
Q: Why handbags?
A: I loved the glitz and glamour of the 1950s and 1960s bags, but I didn't want anything that would tear a dress. The traditional handbag is bedazzled with rhinestones. I don't like that. That's very limiting. These bags are all handmade in America. The acrylic is poured in New Jersey, and [the bags are] made in Illinois.
Q: Tell me about the first handbag.
A: Coming from a Gucci background, I sampled - a lot. That season there were three core styles: the Edie (oval), the Lara (with contrasting-color ends), and the Jean (square.) The Flavia (rectangular) - another core style - came out the next year. Some of the early color combinations were blue and purple, and navy and nude. I just thought they looked good together.
Q: When it comes to accessories, silver or gold?
A: Gold. It just looks better on my skin.
Q: Tell me about your collaboration with edgy jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher.
A: Jennifer Fisher is a dear friend, and I'm a fan of her work. She uses a lot of words in her pieces, too. It would be an easy idea to collaborate. We took words that meant something to her like epic, mama and taken, and we put them on the bags in a Goth[-style] font. They will be launching for holiday on Net-a-Porter.
Q: You also partnered with the art-inspired fashion label Libertine - the New York-based design duo Cindy Greene and Johnson Hartig?
A: We did a line of bags for Libertine's spring 2015 runway show, and we are working on something for fall 2015 as well. They will be available by special order in the coming months.
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