Michelle Vale is a New York City based fashion designer finding her inspiration between Manhattan and East Hampton. Michelle's upbringing has deep roots in the fashion industry. Both her parents had careers in New York fashion, which helped fuel her imagination and sense of style. Her father, most notably, held a senior role at Sasson Jeans during their heyday in the '80s. Her mother owned and operated a clothing boutique. It was these early experiences that exposed her to both the glamor and the grit of the fashion industry. “I quickly became enamored with fashion”, Michelle says. “And the hard work it takes to transform and impact the world.”

Today, Michelle’s meticulous nature and individual style have revealed themselves in the artistry of the Michelle Vale handbag collections, a true and wonderful new take on the modern handbag. “We take great pains to ensure that every detail of our bags exemplifies superior craftsmanship”, Michelle explains. “Our clientele would have it no other way. They expect the best, and we remain committed to exceeding their assumptions”. This attention to structure and aesthetics has made the Michelle Vale collection a must-have for some of the worldʼs most notable fashion icons, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Bosworth, Blake Lively, and Cameron Diaz.

Michelle’s acute attention to quality control ensures that she personally oversees all elements of her New York City based manufacturing process, including the creation of removable hardware components. “We are proud to be made in New York and that many of our handbags offer women the unique ability to completely customize their own look”, Michelle says. “Never before have women had the flexibility to alter their favorite bag in a such a way.” The multi-functional handbags in the collection were created in direct response to the recent economic crisis where Michelle creatively sought to offer more value from her luxury line. “I think this new economy has forced all designers to get more creative with how they deliver quality and value to our consumer.” It is the unique style, however, that has driven her loyal customer base and secured her editorial in industry publications such as Vogue, Elle, W, InStyle, Lucky, and others.

The recent arrival of Michelle Vale into the handbag market offers fashion innovators a brand new option to consider. “We face an exciting challenge in establishing ourselves within the upper regions of the handbag market”, she says. "I constantly consider this as I focus on every facet of our bag's design and production from our customized interchangeable hardware components, to the high quality leathers and exotics that adorn both the interior and exterior of our bags. Our brand will be established in the details." With the details taken care of by Michelle Vale, today's modern woman can now treat herself to the brand new possibilities of a distinctive handbag collection.

Michelle was recently awarded the 2010 Independent Handbag Designer Award for Most Innovative Line and has been nominated for the 2011 Rising Star Awards. Michelle is also co-founding the Make It In Manhattan project with Director James Belzer, which celebrates New York fashion and the importance of local / domestic manufacturing.

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