Kim White Handbags

How did you come upon a treasure trove of vintage automotive textiles?

Word of mouth. When I was ready to start sourcing fabric, I emailed all my friends asking if they new any interesting places to find vintage fabrics. Luckily, my friend’s boyfriend told me about a warehouse of vintage fabrics in South Central LA that was going out of business. When I got there, I discovered it was an entire warehouse full of vintage car fabrics from the 70s and 80s! I instantly knew this would be my niche—a bag line no one else had done, made from vintage auto fabrics! I was so excited. The auto fabrics jump-started my business (no pun intended). When I first started my bag line, it was all car fabrics.

Were you designing accessories prior to your big discovery?

Yes, as a hobby. I always made bags. When I was a kid, I sold them at street fairs. In college, I sold them to local boutiques. But I never thought of it as a business. It was just a fun hobby. I didn’t even care if I made money. I just loved that someone would actually pay money to buy something I made. It was just plain fun fabric shipping and designing, and I love sewing.

What’s the best part of your job?

Well, that’s gotta be having no boss! Working at home and sleeping in everyday are runner’s up.

What’s the hardest part?

Working all the time, everyday, seven days a week! Working for someone else is easy. Working for yourself is much more challenging because of the hours and the burden of being the one and only one to make things happen.

You are committed to manufacturing your line in the United States. What are some of the challenges of producing your collection domestically? What are some of the benefits?

I personally have no downsides to producing my bag and belt lines in the US. I have had no problems with pricing or production, either. I offer fair prices to my customers, and I’m not sure why boutique designers are running to China. Most boutique designers, if producing overseas, don’t pass on the savings to the customers anyway. I’m not talking about mass marketers (like Gap, etc), I’m talking about boutique designers. An acquaintance of mine, a bag designer, was getting her bags made in Asia for under $20 a bag, and still selling them to stores for almost $200 wholesale. Shocking. But—she’s not in business anymore. I think customers have gotten very savvy about what is truly a value. One of the best things of working with manufacturers in the US is the personal relationships I have with my contractors. Being able to check on production from beginning to end is invaluable. I can catch things before there is a problem.

Do you drive a vintage car?

Well…sort of. I drive a 1995 Ford Ranger truck. I get very emotionally attached to my cars. The last truck I had, I had for over ten years and was heart broken when my dad told me it was time to get a new one. It had lots of problems, but I wanted to fix them so I could keep driving my little baby truck, which I loved. The truck I have now I have had for over ten years. I just paid a fortune to fix it, but I didn’t want to get rid of it. My folks just rolled their eyes. But I’m keeping it. It’s dark red and really cute and I can’t imagine driving anything else.

Remember any special rides your parents piloted back in the day?

My folks have always had at least one Cadillac. And in 1975, Cadillac made their biggest one ever—a deVille. We had a huge cream one. When my brothers and I were teenagers, we took this huge car to the beach filled with our friends. Can you imagine a carload of skinny teenagers in bathing suits driving a huge Cadillac deVille? My older brother did a 360 in it! He almost got in an accident and the thing did a 360! Hahahhah! That thing could’ve taken out a building. My mom was also given the first Honda Civic in the seventies. The super, duper tiny one. It was orange, and my dad gave it to her for Mother’s day with a little green leaf and stem on the top so it looked like a pumpkin! My neighbor had a Pacer, “the first small, wide car.”

What’s next for your ever-growing collection? Outerwear (hint, hint)?

I would love to do some clothing—something simple to start. Clothing is hard (it’s all about the fit). I know clothing will be a huge headache…so I’ll start slow and simple, maybe in a year or two. But handbags will always be my main focus. It’s my passion. Men’s messenger bags are on the list!