From Recycled Plastic to a Global Bag Brand: How Got Bag Found Product-Market Fit | Emily Blumenthal & Kathrin Melchior
episode
Handbag Designer 101: The Stories Behind Handbag Designers, Brands, and Industry Icons
30 min
2 speakers
2 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
I mean, you know, for such a big company working on so many countries, you can tell that different countries have different characters. You know, for example, super easy, but you know, the Spanish country, they'll be saying, Oh, we need colours, you know, we need red and blue, and then the German market's like, Oh, can we get beige and dark blue? You know, or the British market, they like everything very short and a bit sexy, you know, the German market, they are more uh classy, let's say, you know. And of course You have, you know, that thinking and then you have a portfolio and you kind of think of all the markets and different needs, you know. Absolutely. It's very interesting actually.
Hi and welcome to Handbag Designer 101 the podcast with your host, Emily Blumenthal, Handbag Industry Expert and the Handbag Fairy Godmother. Each week we uncover the stories behind the handbags we love, from the iconic brands and top designers to the creativity, craftsmanship, and culture that define the handbag world. Whether you're a designer, collector, or simply passionate about handbags, this is your front row seat to it all.
All right, welcome Katrine Melsure of Got Bag to Handbag Designer101 the podcast. Welcome, welcome.
Thank you so much, Emily. Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.
Oh, so where can we find you today, Katrine?
I'm actually sitting right in our product office. Um yes, you can tell behind me is the latest collection. And yeah, I had to kick the product team out so you have some quiet time for us. Then I'm sitting where I'm working every day actually.
Good. The product team needs to get out so we can chat. And what city slash country can we find you?
Yes, uh we're actually located in Mainz, which is a city in Germany, close to Frankfurt. Okay button. Bank note. Located in Germany.
Okay. Are you from in and around mines?
It's actually my hometown. I haven't been here in quite some years, uh due to career, let's say, in fashion. But yeah, I'm happy to be back and happy to be working here actually.
So knowing a little bit about German fashion, mines really isn't at the tippity top of something I would think about for a handbag capital.
Not at all. I would say Mainz is not a city in Germany known for lifestyle of fashion at all. I think it is because our founder is from Mainz and he started building and founding here at home.
So for someone who's never been in handbags before, most people are like, let's just stay here because that's where I am. I think that's kind of as it is, yes. I hey respect. So you said you are not, well, you were originally from there, and then you had a career in fashion. And then as we spoke about before, Benny got bags founder, brought you back. So what were you doing before that threw you into the world of handbags?
Well, actually I studied fashion design. So before I was in designing women's wear and I was a fashion designer. Actually never in my hometown because there's no companies here. So I was working in Stockholm for quite a while. My first job, uh which was what was that like as just someone German going to Sweden? Was that weird? It was a bit weird because all of a sudden everybody was blonde, right? In Germany, it's not so you're blonde. And I I went there, I was like, wow, everybody kinda looks like me and pep people never would believe that I do not speak Swedish. So yeah, but it was quite nice. It's a big international company, so a lot of, you know, international people around. It was absolutely the best experience I ever had, uh, I think working for the country and that was it H and M?
Yes. Oh, there you go.
I was like I was like there's IKEA, there's H and M, so pick one.
You know, but that was like my first job. I think during my studies, I went there as an intern. I went back after my studies. So that was my first job, and I think it kind of really shaped The way I see things, the way I work, maybe yeah.
Also that's that's crazy to have a first job there. I mean, look, for a as someone who teaches at FIT, getting a job at a major company like that is quite a coup.
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Chapters
2 chaptersSpeakers
2 identifiedMore from Handbag Designer 101: The Stories Behind Handbag Designers, Brands, and Industry Icons
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