Hello!
Have you ever been stuck deciding between two handbags when packing for a fabulous vacation? Melissa Urfirer the founder of Riley Versa has! She created a genius bag with changeable covers so when traveling there is no need to panic on weight restrictions. The Versa bag which I carry, is the perfect size to fit the essentials. It is the ideal transition bag from day to night! Below is my interview with Melissa speaking on how she got her start with Riley Versa.
Cheers!
-Chloé Akari
Where do you find your inspiration
for each design of your bags?
For the base bags, I really tried to concentrate on what women
need – and want! For the “Riley” bag, it
was important to me to be able to fit a full size travel wallet in the bag.
Part of the appeal of the bag is that you never have to transfer the contents
of your bag to switch the style. You simply switch the cover and leave your
belongings in place. So I wanted everything a woman might need for a night out to
be able to fit in the purse. For the “Versa” bag, I wanted a sleek alternative
where you could slip in a credit card and lip gloss and be done for the night. Inspiration for the design of the covers really comes from all
over! Art, movies, fashion…really everywhere.
Where do you source your materials?
America, Italy, Turkey, China…we have
no bounds!
Who is the Riley Versa woman/ your muse?
The Riley Versa woman is someone who is confident in her style
and doesn’t want a huge logo printed across her bag. She likes to have fun with
fashion and change her looks!
What is the Riley Versa aesthetic?
The Riley Versa aesthetic is clean, refined design for the base
bags -- and an array of bold, fun, cutting edge styles for the covers! We are
constantly coming out with new covers that tap into every possible aesthetic.
How has your brand evolved?
We launched a little over two years ago with one style bag and
three cover options. Demand exceeded our
wildest expectations which led us to launch a second style option and thirteen
covers to choose from... and more on the way!
How did you come up with the genius idea of interchangeable
skins?
I came up with the idea
when I was on vacation! I packed a bright bag for the weekend, and
didn't realize until I arrived that it clashed with everything else I packed.
My suitcase was already overstuffed (oops),
so I couldn’t even have packed a second bag. I was talking to my husband
(boyfriend at the time!) about the issue and how I wish I could just have one
bag and change the covers, and the rest is history!
Is there any exciting news or
collections for Riley Versa we should be looking out for?
Yes! There has been a lot of exciting news lately. Riley
Versa is now sold at Intermix, which I couldn’t be more thrilled about. We also
recently collaborated with jewelry designer Stephanie Gottlieb and Riley Versa
is now featured on her website. And we are doing a three-month pop up in South
Hampton this summer with Random Acts of Creativity that I’m very excited about!
