When two and a half years ago Bronxville resident Jennifer Alfano couldn’t find the right pocketbook, the former Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar writer and editor decided to design her own. A bunch of them, in fact. Today, it’s her business.
Produced in Florence, Italy, Jennifer Alfano’s handbags (“I like a clean, classic look that doesn’t go out of style”) are cut from sumptuous Italian leathers and such exotic skins as python, lizard, and ostrich, and they feature Alfano’s jewelry-based signature hardware. The collection is available for sale online at luxcouture.com or at Dighton Rhode (5 Lewis St, Greenwich, CT; 203-622-4600) and several shops in Manhattan (visit jenniferalfano.com for store listings and to view the entire collection). But do be aware that an Alfano pocketbook ain’t cheap; prices range from $1,395 to $3,295.
Shown here are Alfano’s Kissing Scarab minaudières. Drawing inspiration from her mother’s scarab jewelry from the ’70s, Alfano tops these evening clutches with the Egyptian “good luck” symbol carved from semi-precious stones including amethyst and quartz.