My brother and I launched our New York-based handbag and scarf line, Crème, on December 7, 2008. Crème is a manifestation our loves: art, fashion and travel. We have been fortunate to explore new cultures, which have exposed us to the best materials in the world. We have combined our loves and are sharing what we have experienced and learned visibly through each handbag and scarf. We are at the beginning of Crème’s journey and are excited to see Crème worldwide and at its fifth, 10th, 25th and 50th anniversary.

We want each handbag to be timeless works of art. We’ve made sure to use leathers and skins that have not been widely used. For example, one of our clutches is made with salmon skin and is ultra smooth to the touch despite its rough appearance. Another of our shoulder bags is crafted with yellow “garage” leather, which looks rough but is also quite smooth. Inside our handbags, one will find that each handbag is lined with gold silk and have sensible interior organization. In our Self collection, every piece expresses itself in a different way, allowing customers to express themselves vicariously though the bag. Crème is about lapping oneself in luxury, which anyone can achieve, and therefore we do not target our products to a specific age or gender, but try to make pieces that appeal to everyone. Art and culture moves us, inspire us and serve as our muse. We synthesize abstract ideas with our experiences to cook-up something wonderful.

When I entered the work force after college, I found myself struggling to find a unique, appropriately priced and functional handbag. Disenchanted with what little I could see myself wearing, I decided to start designing my own bags and scarves. I would not sleep some nights trying to put my ideas to paper because I knew that I could help others who were battling the same frustrations. The names of Crème’s collections and products stem from who we are and what we love.

Our parents hail from two vibrant Caribbean islands, Jamaica and Barbados. Since we were children we were fascinated with islands and have named each carry-all after a particular island in the world that we think matches its character. Additionally, art has played a significant role in the naming of our collections. The ideology of Shinjo Ito, founder of the Shinnyo-en stream of Buddhism, one of Japan's most versatile Buddhist sculptors has inspired the names of our collections: permanence, purity, self and bliss. We continue to find inspiration from art and the new cultures that we discover.

My brother and I researched Turkish production companies, traveled to Turkey ourselves, and handpicked two production companies that we thought would be the best to bring our line to fruition. We initially thought that one company could provide the smaller carry-alls and the other could handle the travel bags and labels. Neither of us speaks Turkish, which proved to be an insurmountable challenge with the travel bag and label company. The travel bags worked out but the labeling did not. After numerous rounds of sampling, we realized what we kept communicating was being lost in translation and we ended up with poor labels that did not meet our standards. We learned an important lesson: a clear line of consistent communication is necessary at all times.

It is all worth it because my brother and I have an opportunity to erect a mosaic of the world via fashion. We not only see ourselves in our line but we see others as well. We are confident others will share this vision. Crème evolved out of both passion and frustration. We know others are also frustrated with the sameness that is stagnating the handbag industry. We are sure that Crème products will alleviate this frustration. That brings a smile to our faces each morning.