Edalou Paris NFT, Web3, and Puerto Rico: Eda Lourdes’ Journey from Handbags to Virtual Fashion

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Hi and welcome to the Handbag Designer 101 podcast with your host, emily Blumenthal, handbag Designer Expert and Handbag Fairy Godmother, where we cover everything about handbags, from making, marketing, designing and talking to handbag designers and industry experts about what it takes to make a successful handbag.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Welcome, ada Lourdes of Ada Lou Paris to the Handbag Designer 101 podcast, so happy to have you here.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Oh, so I'll be to come at week new again.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I love our cats.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Our chats are so good.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I know we always say that our chats should be a podcast and now we have the opportunity at least to have one of them to be a podcast, because we have so much to say.

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<v Eda Lourdes>That's right Now.

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<v Eda Lourdes>This is like a such a good idea.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I'm so happy you're doing this.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, well, I'm happy we're doing this together, because this was long overdue.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>But just to dive right in, let's get into the nitty gritty.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So you are Puerto Rican.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes, I'm from the island of Puerto Rico.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes, okay, bienvenidos.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So why don't you tell a little bit about how you grew up, where you grew up, how you made it to the States, to Paris, and then we can get into, you know, the lovely story of the trials and tribulations and the celebrations of having your amazing handbag line.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So I grew up in the island of Puerto Rico with my single and my aunt and I would say that I'm a normal car of the 80s.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I love 80s music.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I have super sentimental about that era of my life.

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<v Eda Lourdes>You know you grew up in the beach, puerto Rico.

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<v Eda Lourdes>You grew up with that.

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<v Eda Lourdes>You know you get into the radio by then and then the TV, both sweet TV, and I always was creative because I was a dancer through it.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So I've always danced, mostly jazz and kind of show performances.

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<v Eda Lourdes>And then I was always like get to the talent show here, the talent, the national talent show.

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<v Eda Lourdes>When I was in college I would dance at the like what is the keyboard and the Lakers game, like the national league of basketball, and that is the best job I've ever had in my life.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I didn't know that.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I did not know that.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>What was the team?

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<v Eda Lourdes>So it was all of the teams, so we would go, because it was sponsored by one of the supermarkets I think it was a corner supermarket or something like that and they would like pay us $125 every week to get in a van, every Tuesday, I think, to go to some random city in Puerto Rico, town in Puerto Rico.

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<v Eda Lourdes>To dance them back time.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Oh, how old were you?

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<v Eda Lourdes>18, 19.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, what did your mom say?

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<v Eda Lourdes>Oh my gosh, she realized like the sense of where I was going in a van, like this mountain town and whatever.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I mean we had dance practice.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I was also a cheerleader.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I went to the University of Puerto Rico.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So basically my mom, as long as I was studying something and getting the grades, I'm like she will like let me do my little creative, creative, like, but she was very strict, like you got to go and study finance, like I, you know, I wanted to go to go to, I wanted to go to Broadway and dance, and she was like that's not happening, you're going to like study finance.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So as long as I study finance, I will be able to do the address.

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<v Eda Lourdes>And I did modeling, I did commercials, I did everything that I could because now I had a car, I could move around the city and I could just go wherever there was a casting or a dance open call or whatever.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, as long as I was doing finance, as long as I was doing finance, so that was fine.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So I feel that a lot of my creativity comes from that other side of me, that other kind of life that I had Right, like being 80 hours on a set and learning how they were doing things and constructing a story about one of the products that were selling, and things like that.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So this is really fun, time liberating and just artistic, being able to do stuff, even if it was just my side stuff, because I was going to university to do finance Right.

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<v Eda Lourdes>And, of course, I enter into a bank and I did investments and treasury for like almost 16 years.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Were you still in Puerto Rico, where you came to the States for this.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So in Puerto Rico.

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<v Eda Lourdes>The first 10 and the last four.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I was in New York City and the interesting thing is that the other day I was in Puerto Rico and a friend asked me a new appointment.

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<v Eda Lourdes>That's trying to get to know me and so so with empowering women and day you know as she's like, are you, when you were a woman that was a woman banker, or were you a woman that worked marketing at a bank?

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<v Eda Lourdes>Yeah, I was talking about the best question I've heard.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I started laughing and I said I actually was a woman banker.

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<v Eda Lourdes>We were doing banking, income funding and like IPO stuff and, like you know, the difference.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>For the bank, the perception difference of someone in finance versus someone in marketing is like night and day.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, I have an MBA and you could tell just from the first class who was finance undergrad and who wasn't.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And I was one of those people Like I went through my entire undergrad without having to take a math class because I was a Russian, spanish marketing major of some description, until my yeah.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So my senior year I took an arbitrage class thinking like oh yeah, I can just pick it up, I can't be all that hard.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Oh, wow.

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<v Eda Lourdes>And it ends.

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<v Eda Lourdes>It ends.

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<v Eda Lourdes>All these years later she's saying we need more women like you.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Again, yeah, and I'm like, I don't like that's going to be me.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Maybe yes, maybe no, we'll see.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So fast forward.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Then I ended up in New York City.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I can't believe we never met.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So funny, when you think about that time, that we never overlapped yeah.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I know that was 2011 to 2014, basically, so yeah, I was at it yeah.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Yeah, and then I did investor relations for the bank.

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<v Eda Lourdes>It was an asset company so I handled this connection between like very old executive management and the new group of hedge funders and 20 something finance dudes in New York.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Yeah, and our investor base was mostly in like the market.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So that's when I came along and I could understand the finance but also talk to people and that was the job that I loved the most being at the bank.

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<v Eda Lourdes>But then in New York City, you're in New York City, so there's like films and movie sets and fashion and all those things start to get a little kind of like I should do something.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Yeah, I should start.

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<v Eda Lourdes>You know, maybe I don't need to be in banking.

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<v Eda Lourdes>You know all my life, if I made it in banking, I'm sure gonna be able to do it in something else, right?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So, yeah, the funny thing is, in LA everybody is an actor comma, it's like acting and.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>But New York, it's like everybody has hustle and day job right, or your day job and the hustle, so it's like you got to have something.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So when you talk to someone and you ask them, oh, what do you do?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Which is such a cliche thing still to ask?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>It's like, well, this is my day job, but this is what else I'm actually doing.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And if you don't have that comma and it starts messing with your head like, oh, I know I've got something creative inside me.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>What should I be doing?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Right?

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<v Eda Lourdes>And I think it's okay to always have the hustle.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I mean now that going back, you know, going forward to all of these experiences and what we'll talk about it I've realized that it's okay, it is okay to have that steady thing if you still need it or want to, but then there's so much time during the day I mean yes, yes, awesome months.

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<v Eda Lourdes>It's a little bit more complicated Now.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I realized that when I became a mom but it is still like the pandemic taught me that you can do everything.

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<v Eda Lourdes>It's just insane.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So in New York I started to go into the Garment District, all of Sevens Avenue.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Learn about you know how to make a collection.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I actually hire a woman, actually friends, because no, no.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I'm not very satisfied and it's actually so shadowy and, you know and funny, I should have met you instead of meeting her.

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<v Eda Lourdes>But I met her sort of sense and you know, at first you feel that you don't know anything because, oh, I'm a minus person, I don't have the right to know fashion, or I don't have to write to be creative, or I don't have the right to do anything.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So you really think that you need you know, it's the insurance you a lot of money.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So at the beginning, when she was very helpful and it was more of a month to month thing and doing a little thing he said she did.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I learned a lot about making a collection and what do?

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<v Eda Lourdes>The handbag, right, so podcast.

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<v Eda Lourdes>But she said to me, don't do handbags and like, but that's what I want to do.

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<v Eda Lourdes>And she's like, well, it's so saturated, it is true, but start with something else, start with another accessory, you know, start with other stuff and then eventually you're going to handbags and yeah, I mean I follow the advice of that's kind of like what happened.

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<v Eda Lourdes>But you know, sometimes you either to go with your gut or sometimes you have to listen to specials and balance of those that must actually go into work.

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<v Eda Lourdes>And at some point she starts charging a mortgage and I'm still in the band, so I'm okay to, like you know, get rid of a few thousand, kind of like to build this collection.

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<v Eda Lourdes>But then at some point this helps forward.

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<v Eda Lourdes>It starts to be oh, I charge you this month because I made a Facebook post and I'm like what?

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<v Eda Lourdes>And this is why I said I'm going to learn everything.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I'm gonna learn social media website.

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<v Eda Lourdes>You know I do my websites, I do all the social media.

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<v Eda Lourdes>You know I have to learn because this is the thing.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Can I say that that is such a standard, typical, cautionary tale of transferring from.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You know this gigantic insecurity of I'm not trained in design.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I don't understand the industry.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Therefore, I need to hire a whole mess of people who claim expertise and they can then charge me carte blanche whatever the heck they believe is worth it.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Because, again, it's the, it's the green cost I call it.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>It's the cost that people can sniff out how little you know and, as a result of knowing so little, they can overcharge you.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And I've had so many designers come to me and say, oh, I'd love to work with you and hire you, and I said, okay, but I'm not free.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Nobody should be free, you know like.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>However, they've blown all their money with people who have, you know like.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I've spoken to a designer recently who doesn't have a line or a collection ready but is already hired a publicist, and it's like but you shouldn't number one, in my opinion.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Again, I always claim I'm not a doctor, I'm not a lawyer.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So you know lawyers, first thing they say doctors, first thing they say is like I am not your doctor, I'm not your lawyer.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So this is just my opinion.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>My opinion is don't hire anybody on the outside until you know how to do absolutely everything, even if it's not well, or to educate yourself.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You know who are the editors that theoretically covered the brand or the idea that you think your handbag would represent, right?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Who covers those kinds of stories that would fall into the demographic.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So you know that when you about source someone, let alone a salesperson for boutiques or PR person for stories, that you can come to them and say have you reached out or have you followed up with XYZ?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Because in my opinion, that's who we should be.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And if they say no, then you know you shouldn't be working with them because they're doing you dirty.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And again, it's, you know, and this is nothing that you should be ashamed of or annoyed with yourself, and I always say it's the cost of doing business, it's the sunk cost, as they say in business school, whatever sunk cost of the learning curve, where you end up losing at a minimum of five to 10,000 with just figuring it out.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And that's why sharing stories like these are just so very important, right, because you should learn, learn, learn before you make, make, make, make.

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<v Eda Lourdes>But yeah, definitely lessons learned and it's like when you hire a professional, just make sure you understand why you're hiring, a form that is like very clear between you and that other thing should answer the why Right, like one of the list of items that I would be expecting from you.

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<v Eda Lourdes>You know the amount of time that you're dedicating to the brand, etc.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Etc.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Yeah, you understand.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Okay, so this is the cost and this is why I should be with my expectations.

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<v Eda Lourdes>This is what you understand, my expectation, and she agrees to them, and then we can move forward.

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<v Eda Lourdes>That that collection was done between New York and was it a handbag?

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<v Eda Lourdes>Was it a handbag collection?

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<v Eda Lourdes>No, it was a collection of accessories that was hats, paste, like necklaces, like I had, like lots of stuff from Paris, like how do you?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>call that lace.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>These are things that were seismic.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Right that it didn't matter, because always the danger of moving into anything beyond handbags.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You know, I always say handbags is really difficult, but there's always a way to figure it out.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>There's, you know, a secret sauce if you feel, oh, look at that, yeah, we like.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Well, yeah, that's the film, but it's handbags.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You know, it doesn't matter how big or small you are, they are size agnostic, they are the non judgmental accessory.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh wow, but that was a dream of the keys.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>That's really nice.

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<v Eda Lourdes>I gotta say there was like not very romantic.

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<v Eda Lourdes>It was kind of different, you know like romantic.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm already looking at that printout and that's a lot of money, like that paper, that binding, that spiral, that's like at least five brand right there the photo shoot, yeah, yeah, everything like.

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<v Eda Lourdes>the notebook is really nice.

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<v Eda Lourdes>We did three photo shoots like oh Jesus.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>One, and it's exciting to do a photo shoot for the first time.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>But then you're like you always have to do this, because I found myself on photo shoots my first photo shoot, for my handbag.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I did it in a club.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I got a promoter, he got models.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>The models were coked out and I'm like is this what it's supposed to be?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, and that's the learning curve.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So wait, so you've developed this.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>She's charging you an arm and a leg.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>At which point did you say, okay, I need to go back to business school and I'm putting you on pause, lady.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Yeah, so that's kind of like a coin site with me, like living like me, living New York and kind of really being between the three things of San Juan, paris and New York and just starting to get like the first recognition that I'm actually changing from biking to fashion.

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<v Eda Lourdes>You know kind of things like that.

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<v Eda Lourdes>And I was able to sell that collection in a store in like the three.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Did you sell it yourself?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>No, no, no like to a store?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>No, but did you sell it yourself?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Did you show up with the samples to the boutique and say, hey, yeah, it's important.

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<v Eda Lourdes>Yeah, I mean there were some different connections to like people that I knew that all of them started to have a boutique.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So that's how I definitely I would say probably people that you know, like your network, knows you and they'll support you.

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<v Eda Lourdes>If you know, if they align with what you're doing and what they want to show in the store, they'll definitely support you.

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<v Eda Lourdes>So I started with that and started in a store in Puerto Rico also.

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<v Eda Lourdes>That was the store that I used to go every Saturday to buy for the night out.

00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:50.779
<v Eda Lourdes>So you know, there were also very supportive on me and they helped me do pop-ups and things like that.

00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:59.809
<v Emily Blumenthal>Steve and I just I want to point out now that may not have been the store that you worked with once your handbag line launched, because I definitely want to get straight to that.

00:15:59.809 --> 00:16:08.393
<v Emily Blumenthal>But never underestimate your local boutique, and I think so many people need to remember that.

00:16:08.393 --> 00:16:10.500
<v Emily Blumenthal>You find one store that will support you.

00:16:10.500 --> 00:16:15.519
<v Emily Blumenthal>You befriend the owner and talk to them and then get them vested in your story.

00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:28.460
<v Emily Blumenthal>Don't be a pain in the ass, but if you can develop a relationship, buy something from them at least once or twice so they don't think it's a transactional relationship and say this is I'm creating something.

00:16:29.261 --> 00:16:43.429
<v Emily Blumenthal>If you have some time and never go on a weekend, because people always think they can show up on a weekend to sell, no, that's when they're working Show up during a dead time during the week, where they're like desperate to talk to anybody, present your stuff and say what do you think Would you buy this?

00:16:43.429 --> 00:16:45.908
<v Emily Blumenthal>How much do you think your customer would pay for it?

00:16:45.908 --> 00:16:48.327
<v Emily Blumenthal>This is the competition I think it should be.

00:16:48.327 --> 00:16:58.928
<v Emily Blumenthal>Do you agree with me and go from there, because that relationship will be your game changer, and say listen, if you place an order, if I get pressed, you will be the first stock that I will mention Exactly.

00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:04.609
<v Eda Lourdes>And so 100 percent of the exactly what happened, all these things that were pressed all this time recovering me.

00:17:04.609 --> 00:17:11.332
<v Eda Lourdes>Back then I was able to put all of these stores Whenever I spoke about it, or the journal, the newspaper, things like that.

00:17:11.332 --> 00:17:17.823
<v Eda Lourdes>So I moved to Paris and this time I realized I'm going to have my first baby man.

00:17:17.823 --> 00:17:22.579
<v Eda Lourdes>I'm like, okay, this is going to be difficult, but I kept going, I kept selling and promoting.

00:17:23.201 --> 00:17:25.768
<v Emily Blumenthal>But you knew the person you were having the baby with right.

00:17:25.768 --> 00:17:28.756
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes, yes, oh, my God, I got joked, I knew.

00:17:30.842 --> 00:17:36.744
<v Eda Lourdes>And then I say, okay, so once things are or there's still like in boutiques, I'm like, okay, so one next.

00:17:36.744 --> 00:17:38.359
<v Eda Lourdes>And I said, well, I'm in Paris.

00:17:38.359 --> 00:17:44.616
<v Eda Lourdes>The idea I was 36 by that point what idea would have been that I would come to study fashion.

00:17:44.616 --> 00:17:49.471
<v Eda Lourdes>I'm at the baby king, so I had to study French before actually starting in fashion.

00:17:49.471 --> 00:17:56.920
<v Eda Lourdes>So I studied French and then, through the Puerto Rican mafia, I've already settled Puerto Rican in Paris.

00:17:57.280 --> 00:18:10.071
<v Eda Lourdes>I get a fashion connection that would interview me for a job, a job at E-Roll Paris, IRO, paris, which is, you know, best leather jacket and jeans that you can actually find.

00:18:10.071 --> 00:18:19.055
<v Eda Lourdes>And I did lots of seasons with them for wholesale, because they did four times a year of wholesale international sales and you're doing for them.

00:18:19.055 --> 00:18:21.605
<v Eda Lourdes>So everything related to the showroom.

00:18:21.605 --> 00:18:25.794
<v Eda Lourdes>But my clients were mostly Spanish and American and Asian.

00:18:25.794 --> 00:18:32.255
<v Eda Lourdes>They did those three clients, which was so instrumental to just learning how different cultures buy.

00:18:32.862 --> 00:18:37.220
<v Eda Lourdes>You know, when you got Middle Eastern, they buy everything because they wear everything.

00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:43.507
<v Eda Lourdes>When you buy, when you're selling to the world more laughing, they might blur and the stories behind the clothes.

00:18:43.507 --> 00:19:00.500
<v Eda Lourdes>When you sell to America, they just need to be efficient about things that are actually sell and when you are dealing with Asians, they have a very thorough process of trying on everything on their own bodies, because they have a different shape and they're smaller than you know sometimes the models that are wearing these clothes on the runway.

00:19:00.500 --> 00:19:11.390
<v Eda Lourdes>So that was just amazing as to how a collection was constructed, what the story behind it was, the material, why those materials were important, and I did several seasons.

00:19:12.501 --> 00:19:16.932
<v Emily Blumenthal>If you ever wanted to start a handbag brand and you didn't know where to start, this is for you.

00:19:16.932 --> 00:19:22.180
<v Emily Blumenthal>If you had dreams of becoming a handbag designer but aren't trained in design, this is for you.

00:19:22.180 --> 00:19:26.900
<v Emily Blumenthal>If you have a handbag brand and need strategy and direction, this is for you.

00:19:26.900 --> 00:19:34.940
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm Emily Blumenthal, handbag designer expert and handbag fairy godmother, and this is the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass.

00:19:34.940 --> 00:19:42.099
<v Emily Blumenthal>Over the next 10 classes, I will break down everything you need to know to make, manufacture and market a handbag brand.

00:19:42.099 --> 00:19:51.519
<v Emily Blumenthal>Broken down to ensure that you will not only skip steps in the handbag building process, but also to save money to avoid the learning curve of costly mistakes.

00:19:53.123 --> 00:20:02.519
<v Emily Blumenthal>For the past 20 years, I've been teaching at the top fashion universities in New York City, wrote the Handbag Designer Bible, founded the Handbag Awards and created the only Handbag Designer podcast.

00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:10.352
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm going to show you like I have countless brands to create in this in-depth course, from sketch to sample to sale.

00:20:10.352 --> 00:20:19.259
<v Emily Blumenthal>Whether you're just starting out and don't even know where to start or begin, or if you've had a brand and need some strategic direction, the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass is just for you.

00:20:19.259 --> 00:20:22.538
<v Emily Blumenthal>So let's get started and you'll be the creator of the next it bag.

00:20:22.538 --> 00:20:27.259
<v Emily Blumenthal>Join me, emily Blumenthal, in the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass.

00:20:27.259 --> 00:20:39.220
<v Emily Blumenthal>So be sure to sign up at EmilyBluemethalcom slash masterclass and type in the code on cast to get 10% off your masterclass today.

00:20:45.634 --> 00:20:48.359
<v Eda Lourdes>And there is a missing link in our story that I found out some point.

00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:57.092
<v Eda Lourdes>I have your book yes, it's actually in my other office there and I don't remember how I got your book.

00:20:57.092 --> 00:21:00.882
<v Eda Lourdes>Is that that I went to Amazon?

00:21:00.882 --> 00:21:04.846
<v Eda Lourdes>I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember to find it.

00:21:04.846 --> 00:21:06.913
<v Eda Lourdes>Or somebody told me about this book.

00:21:06.913 --> 00:21:10.211
<v Eda Lourdes>It might have been that French woman that told me to buy the book.

00:21:10.211 --> 00:21:19.153
<v Eda Lourdes>It might have been, but I cannot remember that little detail and how I started to actually follow you and follow the Independent Handbag Awards.

00:21:19.285 --> 00:21:34.777
<v Eda Lourdes>And then I said, hmm, like when I left New York I had gone a first to remember being told you can't do handbags, but when I left New York I did one sample in New York.

00:21:34.777 --> 00:21:39.558
<v Eda Lourdes>So the first ever handbag that I did was in New York, oh my God.

00:21:39.558 --> 00:21:48.732
<v Eda Lourdes>And basically there was this clutch which is very old, been a while ago, and it had a magnet and then you could change the accessories of.

00:21:48.732 --> 00:21:56.512
<v Eda Lourdes>I mean, this is metal, but you could change the accessories of the design.

00:21:56.512 --> 00:22:05.752
<v Eda Lourdes>And for me it was very tied to my schedule of traveling because I needed to come for the weekend, but I just had one handbag that I could carry.

00:22:05.752 --> 00:22:14.834
<v Eda Lourdes>So then you have different straps that are chain or combat or leather, and that was the idea of that first handbag.

00:22:14.834 --> 00:22:37.993
<v Eda Lourdes>And that first handbag was the one that I knew for the first time that I ever submitted a sketch, and then every year I would look at the categories and see which category do I see myself doing something for, and then at some point the second year goes by and then the third year is when we actually got into the award as a nominee.

00:22:38.265 --> 00:22:42.491
<v Eda Lourdes>I think it was the Atekevteberg category and that's where the cuckoo is born.

00:22:42.491 --> 00:22:54.532
<v Eda Lourdes>And the cuckoo means you, who in French like cuckoo, like hello, your formal hello, and I have started using that name, like my sister in New York, and we just kept going with that name method.

00:22:54.532 --> 00:23:08.311
<v Eda Lourdes>The first accessory should be named like cuckoo and that was a multifunctional bag, kind of going after this type of storyline which is like you're busy and you love handbags and stuff, but when you're traveling you've got to be more efficient.

00:23:08.311 --> 00:23:25.211
<v Eda Lourdes>So that first handbag of the cuckoo this year was like a bag that you could use for a cough body and then he had four earrings here where you could just change to do back back, belt back shorter, kind of like a butt back, you know all those things or clutch.

00:23:25.211 --> 00:23:37.419
<v Eda Lourdes>And that's where the first bag of the handbag happened to me this year when we got like the bag from like the award, like getting a Puerto Rico to be involved and voting and all that.

00:23:37.419 --> 00:23:40.013
<v Eda Lourdes>That's when I said, ok, so maybe there's something interesting here.

00:23:40.013 --> 00:23:43.445
<v Eda Lourdes>And it's interesting because the one that went to the final it's.

00:23:43.445 --> 00:23:46.855
<v Eda Lourdes>This is more of the version of the sample that was made.

00:23:46.855 --> 00:23:56.394
<v Eda Lourdes>The one that made to the final was for a line with Amy Customberg design and it was a suede kind of bronze bag.

00:23:56.394 --> 00:24:05.692
<v Eda Lourdes>It was a rose gold medal and a cooking the world with medals and it was just more in line with Amy Customberg because it was a review we're designing for her brand.

00:24:05.692 --> 00:24:16.032
<v Eda Lourdes>But then I realized after the award that, oh my god, the sample bag is the one that really aligns more with what I want to do, with the black and the gray leather and all that gold chain for things like that.

00:24:16.032 --> 00:24:18.192
<v Eda Lourdes>And then it's 2019.

00:24:18.807 --> 00:24:20.112
<v Eda Lourdes>And due to show the handbags.

00:24:20.172 --> 00:24:21.347
<v Eda Lourdes>I thought so there were two.

00:24:21.347 --> 00:24:31.931
<v Eda Lourdes>There's two bags the bag that went into the competition and my sample, and I just took photos of that bag everywhere I went as if there were 100.

00:24:31.931 --> 00:24:48.175
<v Eda Lourdes>And the other day I am telling this story in a group of women, one that they're starting to kind of do their own stuff not really handbags but other stuff and when she hears this she was like I thought that there was 100 bags, but there were not two.

00:24:48.175 --> 00:24:58.949
<v Eda Lourdes>There was 100 bags that you were just photographing everywhere and I'm like no, there was only two bags because at that point I haven't found manufacturing and who's going to do them or where am I going to do them?

00:24:58.969 --> 00:25:22.394
<v Eda Lourdes>In Paris and this is just before the pandemic I worked at a last job at Kendo, which is my last kind of official job in the fashion luxury industry in Paris, and then the pandemic started and once I'm in the pandemic I'm doing kind of like clients that I have for graphic design, web cycle, clothing, I think like that and then I said OK, we're stuck here.

00:25:22.394 --> 00:25:23.990
<v Eda Lourdes>So I got to keep the story here.

00:25:23.990 --> 00:25:26.031
<v Eda Lourdes>I'm going to have to find a manufacturing here.

00:25:26.031 --> 00:25:33.674
<v Eda Lourdes>And that was the most stressful thing that ever done in my life, because even though you got the money to pay them, they say no.

00:25:34.825 --> 00:25:37.548
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, it's so many thoughts, so one.

00:25:37.548 --> 00:26:03.777
<v Emily Blumenthal>I want to point out that how you learned early, probably not even aware of the knowledge you gained working for that showroom, because from a retail anthropological mindset of learning how people shop and how people shop differently and the needs and wants of different people is so very different and that you cannot sell the same product to different people the same way.

00:26:03.777 --> 00:26:08.928
<v Emily Blumenthal>That is such an important point, I mean, and also that no one bag you know.

00:26:08.928 --> 00:26:12.865
<v Emily Blumenthal>When people always say it's a day-to-night bag, in my opinion there's no such thing.

00:26:12.865 --> 00:26:15.933
<v Emily Blumenthal>Okay, the bag you use during the day is not the bag you're going to use at night.

00:26:15.933 --> 00:26:19.849
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's like you know what you wore the sneakers you wore all day.

00:26:19.849 --> 00:26:23.641
<v Emily Blumenthal>You want to change to something fancy or cute or pretty or put on cool sneakers.

00:26:23.641 --> 00:26:26.166
<v Emily Blumenthal>You know there's a totally different mindset.

00:26:26.166 --> 00:26:52.198
<v Emily Blumenthal>So, in recognizing what you said about, I always say smoke buys mirrors the fact that you made it look like that you were set up and had production and had a new, new and had the insight to take photos all over for the place to give the allure that, if anybody buys from you with D to C, that you were ready and what I did with boutiques before I had manufacturing is.

00:26:52.278 --> 00:27:00.307
<v Emily Blumenthal>I made my delivery six months down the road I was like, okay, you can please in order, but it's for holiday and it was, I don't know, march.

00:27:00.307 --> 00:27:02.335
<v Emily Blumenthal>Now I had to find someone.

00:27:02.335 --> 00:27:08.900
<v Emily Blumenthal>I knew would take me some time, but I knew I should be able to get something by October, november at least I hoped so.

00:27:08.900 --> 00:27:15.362
<v Emily Blumenthal>All these key points are such good nuggets of information, just to validate of how clever you are.

00:27:15.362 --> 00:27:32.521
<v Emily Blumenthal>I want to get into you know, just to tie this all back into you finding manufacturing, how much they charge you, how much you know to you know, ripped you apart, and how this ties to Web three and what you're doing now with everything altogether.

00:27:32.521 --> 00:27:35.674
<v Emily Blumenthal>And I knew you're going back to Adolu, so let's dive in.

00:27:35.674 --> 00:27:37.221
<v Emily Blumenthal>That's such an interesting angle.

00:27:38.056 --> 00:27:56.125
<v Eda Lourdes>So once I get that, you know the biggest, the most complex handbag I've ever done in my life is this first handbag for the Coupon, because I actually ended up forcing everything for that manufacturer to agree to do the back because it was so complicated, because you're designing for the first time, so you, you know that's something that you need to.

00:27:56.517 --> 00:28:09.542
<v Emily Blumenthal>You don't realize that every bell and whistle is going to cost you money, because every little detail is labor and labor is time, and especially dealing with the manufacturer, they can green cost, they sniff out that you don't know what the hell you're doing.

00:28:09.542 --> 00:28:16.682
<v Emily Blumenthal>So it's like I'm going to charge you triple and put you at the bottom of my to-do list, right, and that also, you know, helps you place it accordingly.

00:28:16.762 --> 00:28:19.986
<v Eda Lourdes>This is that half a month from HLEO.

00:28:19.986 --> 00:28:24.355
<v Eda Lourdes>So so now it's two major outlets that have recognized the bags, the bag.

00:28:24.355 --> 00:28:29.922
<v Eda Lourdes>So it's just a different process for me to do the back and I made sure that I documented that well enough.

00:28:29.922 --> 00:28:41.224
<v Eda Lourdes>Yeah, well, when people learn about the price they wouldn't like when she thinks she is, you know, yeah, and I never, never got a complaint about that price and it was almost $500.

00:28:41.224 --> 00:28:48.807
<v Eda Lourdes>And it was a little bag and it's a tiny bag, I mean, if it's the phone, but it is like a smaller, it's not your everything bad, you know.

00:28:49.194 --> 00:28:49.496
<v Emily Blumenthal>And it's just.

00:28:49.496 --> 00:28:50.558
<v Emily Blumenthal>Is it just lamb skin?

00:28:50.558 --> 00:28:52.845
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's just lamb skin, yeah.

00:28:54.409 --> 00:28:56.173
<v Eda Lourdes>Green leather, italian.

00:28:56.173 --> 00:28:56.454
<v Eda Lourdes>It's nice.

00:28:56.454 --> 00:29:00.323
<v Eda Lourdes>Yeah, it is nice, and all the components were nice.

00:29:00.323 --> 00:29:12.179
<v Eda Lourdes>I mean, I've seen bags that have like a leather strap yeah, but I've been doing a Chanel strap, which is Right God, why did I ever do this?

00:29:12.179 --> 00:29:20.875
<v Eda Lourdes>But at the end there's so much satisfaction that I ought to do this myself, like the bags, the chains that I understand, like the weight of this metal.

00:29:20.875 --> 00:29:26.054
<v Eda Lourdes>All of it is so really crafty and it helped me document it so I can learn.

00:29:26.054 --> 00:29:29.182
<v Eda Lourdes>You know, trust me, the message that this is why this is such an expensive bag.

00:29:30.454 --> 00:29:43.598
<v Eda Lourdes>And the second thing, before I kind of go into that, what's been, what has happened, is that I learned that once you got those clients that really love when you do, it's all a matter of adding more products.

00:29:43.598 --> 00:29:52.125
<v Eda Lourdes>So this is the pandemia that Cuckoo is going to take seven months to make because this person is tied up with lots of handbags for all the clients.

00:29:52.125 --> 00:30:05.422
<v Eda Lourdes>So I go to Spain and I said, okay, I want a smaller version of the Cuckoo, it is just that one mini Cuckoo, but I want to do it in some place else and another factory, because I want to make sure that I get.

00:30:05.422 --> 00:30:08.192
<v Eda Lourdes>I have something that will come faster than this one.

00:30:08.192 --> 00:30:17.223
<v Eda Lourdes>And then I grab the attention of people that already pre-order the Cuckoo, so they would also this one that will deliver much faster.

00:30:17.575 --> 00:30:24.097
<v Emily Blumenthal>You know, I think that's a super valuable point to recognize that hedge abets never depend on just one factory.

00:30:24.097 --> 00:30:28.166
<v Emily Blumenthal>I had a factory with my first order from Nordstrom.

00:30:28.166 --> 00:30:45.061
<v Emily Blumenthal>I didn't know that it was a Muslim factory not that they should have told me that, not that I would have even known to ask but the fact is I was reaching out to them like crazy during Ramadan, which I didn't know I shouldn't.

00:30:45.061 --> 00:30:52.846
<v Emily Blumenthal>I didn't even know they weren't working, and it's like reaching out to a factory during Chinese New Year like it's going to go crickets.

00:30:52.846 --> 00:31:02.958
<v Emily Blumenthal>So I not only offended this factory, I pissed them off and they threatened to not produce at all, like at all.

00:31:02.958 --> 00:31:10.833
<v Emily Blumenthal>And so it was one of those things where I was terrified and I you know every I was like oh my God, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.

00:31:10.894 --> 00:31:11.936
<v Emily Blumenthal>I didn't know, I didn't know.

00:31:11.936 --> 00:31:20.032
<v Emily Blumenthal>Of course, I'll be respectful and you'll be holding to these factories, so it's one of those things where you're like holy shit, what am I going to do?

00:31:20.032 --> 00:31:21.798
<v Emily Blumenthal>So this learning curve is fast.

00:31:21.798 --> 00:31:35.023
<v Emily Blumenthal>So you know, put on your list like what, asking the factory what are your days that you don't work, what are the best times when you really come down when is going to be like disrupted.

00:31:35.384 --> 00:31:41.351
<v Eda Lourdes>And then diversification is really good also because then you always have a input of products.

00:31:41.351 --> 00:31:45.683
<v Eda Lourdes>If you already have a client that is interested in knowing, okay, what else are you doing?

00:31:45.683 --> 00:31:46.826
<v Eda Lourdes>Show me that.

00:31:46.826 --> 00:31:54.398
<v Eda Lourdes>And then I started to do storytelling behind this, all of these products, because there were still multi functional at this point.

00:31:54.440 --> 00:32:07.486
<v Eda Lourdes>And then mother comes along and I'm making bracelets with the X and A that I have, and I did them in gold and I put like the hearts that we use for the handbag, which comes with the key.

00:32:07.486 --> 00:32:09.394
<v Eda Lourdes>You can take it out and use it as a network.

00:32:09.394 --> 00:32:14.011
<v Eda Lourdes>So I started to play with my materials that I already started to be firing up.

00:32:14.011 --> 00:32:17.161
<v Eda Lourdes>And how can this be used into another product?

00:32:17.161 --> 00:32:24.006
<v Eda Lourdes>Because there is the demand for the product and I have the material and there's things that actually I can do in my own studio.

00:32:24.105 --> 00:32:30.296
<v Eda Lourdes>Here in this studio there was lots of accessories were done besides packaging things by bad From.

00:32:30.296 --> 00:32:35.819
<v Eda Lourdes>I learned how to get all the tools that I needed to do grace, to do necklaces, you know, with all of that extra.

00:32:35.819 --> 00:32:51.082
<v Eda Lourdes>And then all of a sudden I have three handbags with three sizes and three earrings bracelets, necklaces, so I have a whole collection that I can take into, let's say, stores.

00:32:51.082 --> 00:32:59.884
<v Eda Lourdes>But also pop up and especially like holiday events are really good when you already have like a nice collection on an inventory.

00:32:59.884 --> 00:33:05.202
<v Eda Lourdes>If you go to one of those like holiday events, those are really good to be able to sell everything.

00:33:05.202 --> 00:33:10.538
<v Eda Lourdes>And that's the point where I am done with all the inventory may be just a few things.

00:33:10.710 --> 00:33:19.411
<v Eda Lourdes>I kept thinking the new theme of Puerto Rico and design, because I wanted to kind of fight the brand to just this craftsmanship and design aspect of the brand.

00:33:19.411 --> 00:33:29.230
<v Eda Lourdes>But then this is when I'm like okay, it's November, december, winter is going to come, let me take a break and reassess what I want to do for the next season.

00:33:29.230 --> 00:33:38.521
<v Eda Lourdes>And then when I stumble into Web three, listening to Clubhouse and Twitter and all of that, and then I realize, wow, this is so cool.

00:33:38.541 --> 00:33:42.916
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, you are now a Web three expert.

00:33:42.916 --> 00:33:45.770
<v Emily Blumenthal>People bring you all over the world to speak about it.

00:33:45.770 --> 00:33:57.755
<v Emily Blumenthal>You're on platforms and panels and discussions and I'm so grateful to be connected with you within that space because you have taught me and educated me so kind of thing.

00:33:57.755 --> 00:34:05.243
<v Emily Blumenthal>We're patiently to explain the value of Web three, and NFT may or may not be a dirty word.

00:34:05.243 --> 00:34:13.873
<v Emily Blumenthal>If you could just speak to a little bit, how do you see the future of NFTs, web three with handbags and where are you with it?

00:34:13.873 --> 00:34:15.731
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'll do now, yeah.

00:34:15.791 --> 00:34:24.692
<v Eda Lourdes>So, really, web three has brought me back to, but to have a relationship with you, which has been amazing after the pundit and everybody you know, so we're good place.

00:34:24.692 --> 00:34:38.715
<v Eda Lourdes>Web three has introduced me to just a bunch of women out there that are really working hard to use blockchain technology, and this is all about blockchain technology and how are we going to use the blockchain technology for the future.

00:34:38.715 --> 00:34:42.903
<v Eda Lourdes>And basically, fasten is one of its first messengers.

00:34:42.903 --> 00:34:47.199
<v Eda Lourdes>Fasten is, you know, apart from crypto, which I own.

00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:56.449
<v Eda Lourdes>Women were left behind and it led me to be okay to understand crypto, which I 2014,.

00:34:56.509 --> 00:34:58.072
<v Eda Lourdes>If it's finance, I don't want to hear about it.

00:34:58.072 --> 00:35:01.322
<v Eda Lourdes>I literally said this an idiot, right.

00:35:01.322 --> 00:35:04.438
<v Eda Lourdes>And I'm like okay, I can still learn about this.

00:35:04.438 --> 00:35:07.054
<v Eda Lourdes>I've learned a little bit about what's happening with crypto.

00:35:07.054 --> 00:35:08.637
<v Eda Lourdes>How is this involved?

00:35:08.637 --> 00:35:10.811
<v Eda Lourdes>Where's the place for Fasten?

00:35:10.811 --> 00:35:45.378
<v Eda Lourdes>And I've learned that not only there's a community of like women and men that are really ingrained into the ownership aspect of a digital asset and hide to a real asset, and I think that is so interesting because for our subject of handbags, one they can be certified that that's a handbag made by X amount of you know X brand, where it was made, you know which was materials and what has happened to the bag since it left the factory into your hands and to the next owner, if you happen to resell it.

00:35:45.378 --> 00:35:47.201
<v Eda Lourdes>Oh my God, ada, we have it.

00:35:47.630 --> 00:35:53.190
<v Emily Blumenthal>We need to do a special episode specific to no.

00:35:53.190 --> 00:36:03.737
<v Emily Blumenthal>I think we need to because there's so much to speak about and it minimizes your impact and your knowledge with just like having it thrown in with a handful of sentences.

00:36:03.737 --> 00:36:11.130
<v Emily Blumenthal>So we're definitely going to have you back to talk about this in deeper detail because I think there's a lot of opportunity.

00:36:11.130 --> 00:36:15.289
<v Emily Blumenthal>In my opinion, I don't think Web 3 should be anything exclusive.

00:36:15.289 --> 00:36:24.329
<v Emily Blumenthal>My opinion to sell from Web 3 to Web 2, which also might not make sense to a lot of people is a lot more difficult than going from Web 2 to Web 3.

00:36:24.710 --> 00:36:49.570
<v Emily Blumenthal>And I think this advent of what NFTs and you know, this kind of new future, was mistaken in assuming that I could develop a handbag brand in Web 3 and which is obviously an intangible part of what NFT stands for, and then translate that then fictional bag into something tangible that theoretically people would want.

00:36:49.570 --> 00:36:54.710
<v Emily Blumenthal>And it's impossible because you don't have that audience you know to go from.

00:36:54.710 --> 00:36:58.489
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's like a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle isn't a square.

00:36:58.489 --> 00:37:01.550
<v Emily Blumenthal>Web 3 is the rectangle, web 2 is the square.

00:37:01.550 --> 00:37:02.849
<v Emily Blumenthal>You just can't go backwards.

00:37:02.849 --> 00:37:03.987
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's too difficult.

00:37:03.987 --> 00:37:07.210
<v Emily Blumenthal>So go ahead, wrap that up and then let's hear about where you are.

00:37:08.275 --> 00:37:23.697
<v Eda Lourdes>The Robin is that I've been doing this almost like the one, like the Web 3 arena, and it is now that is starting to come full circle in the sense of that break learning and that people kind of starting to various and to starting to understand it.

00:37:23.858 --> 00:37:26.369
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's tricky.

00:37:26.369 --> 00:37:40.130
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, I went to so many of those panels with you and people were saying, oh, I've been doing this for a year and, because it was so new, someone who'd been doing it consistently for a year and then made them an expert, as opposed to me who had been doing it for 10 minutes as a needle fight.

00:37:40.130 --> 00:37:41.476
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm like wait, I'm just catching up.

00:37:41.476 --> 00:37:49.503
<v Emily Blumenthal>We've only done it a year, you know, but let's book a follow up for that, because I know there's so much more to talk about.

00:37:49.503 --> 00:37:52.498
<v Emily Blumenthal>Where are you with Adaloo and what are you doing now?

00:37:54.456 --> 00:38:12.159
<v Eda Lourdes>So the last two years I've been part of the Web 3 community of women and fashion and I've been working with iPhone fashion project I will get into on the next one but I always have myself designing like I will go into this but, like the earrings that I'm wearing are like a design made for that company.

00:38:12.369 --> 00:38:14.056
<v Eda Lourdes>They're also digital and they're all for real.

00:38:14.056 --> 00:39:02.219
<v Eda Lourdes>So I've been able to keep designing designing not only like strategies around you know NFTs and what we could do in a community based fashion lovers but also products that are part of the brand, of the new brand, and now that I feel that, okay, I think my clients are starting to catch on and be interested on going back to designing for Adaloo and bringing some of the new products and the accessories, but tied to a community aspect and a technological aspect community as to building this community in a like, more thorough way, and then my soothing NFC chips and things like that into the handbag or the accessory, so they're tied to the blockchain somehow and then a social connection will happen between the piece and the owner and the brand.

00:39:02.869 --> 00:39:04.195
<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh, my God, so much more to do.

00:39:04.891 --> 00:39:18.409
<v Eda Lourdes>So, edith, how can everybody follow you, learn more, reach out to you, so I Instagram and Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter at Adaloo Paris, and then I have my own kind of with my different projects at that door there.

00:39:18.409 --> 00:39:20.378
<v Eda Lourdes>So Adaloo Paris wants to do it.

00:39:20.378 --> 00:39:24.621
<v Eda Lourdes>Adaloo, you'll be able to find me.

00:39:25.751 --> 00:39:27.456
<v Emily Blumenthal>E-D-A-L-O-U.

00:39:27.456 --> 00:39:28.179
<v Emily Blumenthal>Paris.

00:39:28.179 --> 00:39:31.809
<v Emily Blumenthal>Just to make that clear, Edith, it has been an absolute pleasure.

00:39:31.809 --> 00:39:34.250
<v Emily Blumenthal>I can't wait to chat with you again.

00:39:34.250 --> 00:39:39.856
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thank you for being part of the Handbag Designer 101 podcast and we will absolutely be speaking with you again.

00:39:40.860 --> 00:39:41.521
<v Eda Lourdes>Thank you, emily.

00:39:41.521 --> 00:39:44.329
<v Eda Lourdes>It's great to be part of the handbag designer.

00:39:44.329 --> 00:39:51.199
<v Eda Lourdes>No, kamali, I you know love at first sight, so I have the support.

00:39:52.655 --> 00:40:08.036
<v Emily Blumenthal>Well, listen, you're only as good as the community you support, especially in a market that is so oversaturated that if we can't work together to support each other, then there's really no point, because you can't stand out, because no one's going to be cheering for you, and that's what we're here for.

00:40:08.036 --> 00:40:09.735
<v Emily Blumenthal>So, thank you, my darling.

00:40:09.735 --> 00:40:10.579
<v Emily Blumenthal>We will talk soon.

00:40:10.579 --> 00:40:12.769
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thanks for listening.

00:40:12.769 --> 00:40:18.302
<v Emily Blumenthal>Don't forget to rate and review, and follow us on every single platform at Handbag Designer.

00:40:18.302 --> 00:40:19.010
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thanks so much.

00:40:19.010 --> 00:40:20.192
<v Emily Blumenthal>See you next time.