Something Old Something New

Patricia Nash and her daughter Jennifer Vanderink are leveraging their unique experiences to strengthen and build the brand into a must-have accessory item that crosses generational boundaries and appeals to a wide variety of women. After years of designing handbags for other brands, Nash, inspired by a vintage bag she found in her mother’s closet, launched Patricia Nash Designs in 2010. Her daughter joined her three years later. “We’ve been through it all together,” Nash said of the mother/daughter team. “We respect each other’s opinions.”

Nash, who had a remarkable 32-year career in the industry, got her start in sales at a home goods company where she introduced textile aprons and tote bags. In the late 1980s, she took a bold step and opened her own factory to produce private label products.

This USbased manufacturer, INNOVO, quickly grew, went public, opened an office in Hong Kong, and employed over 700 people at its peak. INNOVO produced duffle bags, totes, and lunch bags for major licenses, including MLB, the NHL, Disney, The Muppets, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Nash’s innovate approach captured the attention of industry leaders and paved the way for her to launch the women’s handbag line Red by Marc Ecko and collaborate with Mark Fisher.

But as manufacturing in the US started to decline, Nash made the difficult decision to close her factory. “My passion for design never wavered,” she said. “I just needed to decide what to do next.”

While helping her mother pack for a move, Nash stumbled upon a beautifully crafted vintage leather bag — aged to perfection — in her mother’s closet. This discovery ignited an idea: to create a collection of bags with the same timeless quality and craftsmanship. Nash tested the concept with eight samples, which were quickly picked up by Dillard’s, and eventually led to the launch of the Patricia Nash brand.