Fashion has been around ever since humankind could come up with the term “fashion” to describe their preferences and choices about certain elements. Today, a lot of what we wear, our lifestyle choices, and other external mandates are dictated or influenced by current fashion trends. Hence, it isn’t a shocker that we have a global fashion industry.

From timeless classics to fast fashion and cultural and traditional choices – the fashion world has a brand offering everything. One such brand is Gigi New York. Marking its 40th revolution around the sun, Gigi New York is a family-owned and run business that was able to break from the stereotypical shackles of family-owned businesses being perceived as indigenous.

It is far from being indigenous and has ruled the fashion world ever since. While it is a fashion brand and houses many different fashion articles, it is primarily renowned for its wide range of high-quality handbags. Ladies who love the brand are loyal customers, not switching it up and keeping the brand going strong even with other brands being introduced.

Gigi New York – How It All Started

Tom Glazer is the mastermind behind Gigi New York, and he tells the story of how the company, brand, and business came to be for him. Initially, the company was started by his father as a leather goods business. They ran from their house, and Top joined his father fresh out of college in 1980. He was given the responsibility to look after the sales aspect of things for his father, and over the years, they started a well-reputed manufacturing capacity with their clients.

However, no one would believe that this big-label fashion house started as leather bookbinding. Soon Tom’s sister Carol also obliged to lay hands in the family business. Safe to say, both siblings were highly invested in taking the business to new heights and never left to pursue anything else. Instead, they helped the brand identity evolve by regulating the leather and focusing on the “fashion-forward” product lineup.

Soon they were churning out leather handbags for women, which was an amazingly scaling project from there. While they still keep their leather goods and bookbinding business, Gigi New York was the name given to their newly formed venture specializing in handbags and certainly goes places with the clients. The best part, Gigi New York’s presence in the fashion industry allowed them to break into a well-deserved spot in the luxury segment.

And it has been 40 years, and Gigi NY is still regarded as a high-fashion, global luxury brand for leather handbags. A name considered optimal in the list of all the luxury leather brands like LV, Gucci, Prada Dior, etc. It’s safe to say that Gigi NY had its humble beginnings but, with the right strategies in place, was able to find its well-deserved spot in the fashion industry. Today, their online presence is enough for their revenue generation.

Expansion, Innovation & Latest Fashion Trends

Naturally, the very brand starts small and depends on how amazing the client responds. They get a chance to expand. With business expansion, there comes a need for innovation and keeping up with industry trends. This is quite a challenge to take over, especially if you happen to be a brand in a highly volatile industry like fashion. One day you are selling heaps and bounds of a product that the very next day can be thrown out the window.

So how did Gigi NY tackle these situations while they were trying to expand and innovate? According to Tom, their primary driving force for innovation as a necessary next step was the need of their customers. Growing a client base doesn’t happen overnight. So the people buying their products were there for a reason. It was crucial to tap into that reason and learn what drives their need or even want-based purchases.

Once Tom and Carol learned that it was their brand’s way of keeping up with the fashion trends no matter how volatile the industry is, maintaining the quality of their bags while doing so was the ultimate factor at play. While all the other leather bag contemporaries of the industry were busy emptying their shelves even though the product has now become outdated, Gigi NY was following the latest trend bargain.

Soon Gigi NY bags landed on the likes of Jennifer Garner and Jessica Alba, honorable mentions to Beverly Hill’s most notable housewife Lisa Vanderpump – all of who didn’t shy away from flaunting their latest purchases and giving Gigi a much-appreciated boost for their brand image. After decades of doing what they loved doing and finally being recognized by people for their passion, they eventually became the lifelong running force that still exists for Gigi NY today.

Our Final Thoughts

The handbag industry is a market that has been around for over 100 years. It is one of the most lucrative industries in the world, and it is also one of the oldest ones. The history of this industry dates back to when women would carry their purses with them as they went about their daily lives. They would either use a purse or keep their belongings in any old fabric for safekeeping and create a duffel to carry them around comfortably.

We have certainly come a long way from that era, and today, handbags and purses from brands like Gigi NY have become wardrobe staples. One can’t imagine leaving the house without having a bag on their arm or shoulder. And as long as this need continues to exist, brands like Gigi NY, who keep innovation and fashion trends to maximum priority, will continue to thrive, survive and strive to put out the best in the industry. Cheers!