Susan Fitch

Biography

Susan Fitch’s fascination with fashion steadily grew as she began collecting vintage handbags more than 12 years ago. She quickly realized that a great accessory can make or break an outfit and can make quite a statement in the world of fashion. Over 100 vintage handbags later, this enthrallment lead to a collection of handbags that while timeless in design, began to make their own way with the launch of the Susan Fitch Handbag Collection.

Susan honed her business skills at Indiana University where she studied Apparel Merchandising and Marketing. Upon graduation, she got her feet wet in the fashion world by working for Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus before branching out on her own. She began formulating her business plan and had her first set of samples created shortly thereafter – the blueprints for what are now her three classic designs – the Audrey, The Classic Clutch and the Camille. Friends and family loved the bags and she soon had local boutiques interested in buying them. Customers soon caught on to the fresh designs, sleek lines and interesting fabrications with just a hint of edginess. The fans were loyal and the Susan FitchHandbag Collection was innocently created.

Although heavily influenced by vintage handbags, Susan’s dedication to seeking out the finest materials, precise attention to detail and a sometimes unexpected use of color, is her recipe for success. Customers love opening each bag to find that it is not only brilliant on the exterior, but is just as plush on the interior. She taps the trends just enough to keep patrons happy, while managing to leave her own impression on a piece. Susan’s philosophy when designing her handbags is similar to how she views most things in life – if you have to draw obvious attention to something by adding as opposed to paring down – it isn’t strong enough to stand on it’s own.

Susan’s Spring 2005 collection is a modish mixture of shimmering satins, sexy snakeskin and lush leather. The collection introduces six new styles, while three timeless designs get a fresh facelift. Susan’s latest repertoire covers all areas of dress—from chic clutches for evening to sumptuous shoulder bags for daytime.