My name is Danielle Bernard and I opened my leather handbag studio in 2017. I’ve been sewing for over 20 years and in 2016 I decided to leave my career in lighting design to follow my childhood dream. I’ve made everything from wool coats to Halloween costumes, but my passion really lies in the design and fabrication of leather handbags. What I love most about designing handbags is figuring out the construction and choosing colors. When I am creating bags I often start with an object of some sort, like a shell or a beehive and the design takes off from there. Each bag is created by me in my Pittsburgh home studio.
ABOUT MY PRODUCTS:
My handbags are made from U.S.-sourced cowhide leather and I sometimes source leather from Europe. My designs are classic in form with a modern twist and meant to take you from day to night. I try to waste as little as possible, so I’ve created the minimal waste color block bags, credit card holders and the hand woven bags as part of that initiative. I also recently started making repurposed leather bags and will continue building that part of my business over the next year. One aspect of my business that my clients love the most is the option for custom orders. I have a wide selection of cowhide colors and hardware that I can source. I really enjoy making custom orders; I love to work with clients to create their unique, one-of-a-kind bag.