Kim White: First Bags, Now Belts
Los Angeles handbag designer Kim White, who launched her line three years ago with bags made from vintage 1970s- and ’80s-era auto upholstery, now has a line of leather belts under her brand.
So far, the collection includes four styles that can be worn by women or men. The belts feature hardware custom-cast in Los Angeles for White. One style has four separate cast pieces and is backed with fuchsia suede. All four styles are hip belts that can be worn through belt loops or over a long shirt or tunic.
“I wanted to do high-end beautiful belts,” White said, adding that, in designing the belts, she was thinking of which styles she would want to wear.
Wholesale prices range from $60 to $85.
The first deliveries will ship in late September.
So far, Sharon Segal at Fred Segal Santa Monica has placed an order, as have several stores that carry White’s handbags. “I have really loyal customers,” she said. “They haven’t even seen [the belts] and they want them.”
The designer showed the belts alongside her handbags at the D&A Annex show during August market and is showing the line at the Pool trade show Aug. 28-30 in Las Vegas.
White plans to expand the collection to include more styles and other fabrications. “My handbags specialize in textiles; eventually, I want to do textile belts.”
She also plans to launch an apparel collection— someday. But for now, she is concentrating on her accessories businesses.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for so long,” White said. “My bag business is getting bigger and bigger every year. [But] it doesn’t happen overnight. Right now my heart is in my bags—and in my new belts.”
For information, call (323) 937-2541 or go to www.kimwhitehandbags.com. —Alison A. Nieder
