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A staple at Asbury and Belmar Fresh maker and farmers markets, handbag designer Crystal Kodada celebrates her second anniversary during New York City’s upcoming Fashion Week.

Kodada, who launched her defining handmade line during the September 2014 Fashion Week, is a self described Jersey Girl, having lived here for most of her 30 years, and rebel.

“Yeah, I don’t follow the norm,” Kodada [at right] said.

And while her high-end leather handbags are manufactured in New York City, her branding has a strong tie to Asbury Park, with a large portion of its marketing photographs captured along the boardwalk and throughout downtown.

Kodada, who hand inspects each design before it reaches the customer, uses high-quality, durable Italian leather and lightweight hardware to create a bag that is both luxurious and comfortable to carry, with a nod back to the 1940s and 50s style.

For Kodada the handbag is a defining statement for women, capturing the essence of an individual’s spirit.

With a father in production and mother [shown at right in middle photo below] in fashion design, Kodada was destined to attend her parents’ alma mater Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology [FIT]. Prior to graduation, she was scouted by a licensing company, where her business savvy foundation was set. Kodada worked with some of the biggest names in fashioning industry, not only designing but handling sales and production.

“I feel like the company really gave me the opportunity to learn and understand the mechanics of the handbag business,” she said.

Soon the entrepreneurial spirit took hold, and Kodada set out 2½ years ago to launch her own venture – The Experience by Crystal Kodada. A year later she began a Kickstarter campaign to help meet production goals. The campaign yielded 79 backers who pledged $12,725.

Behind the scenes, family and friends are paramount, she said. This is evident by the team of nine people, which includes her husband Michael, parents and in laws, that help execute her vision.

Kodada, who uses the trunk show and pop up business model to sell directly to her consumer, says it allows her to form a personal connection to those who choose her brand.

With New York City’s Fashion Week quickly approaching [Sept 7-15], we asked Kodada to take a bit of time out of her busy schedule to meet.

Sun: Where were you raised?

Kodada: I’m 100 percent Puerto Rican. I was born in the Bronx, I lived i Queen until I was four, and then we moved to East Brunswick.

Sun: How did you get to Asbury Park?

Kodada: My in laws [who have a home in Monroe] jumped on the Asbury Park train right when it started to pick up. They really bought the beach house [in North Beach] as a family home. I’m here almost every week.

Sun: Why such a strong tie to Asbury Park?

Kodada: I’m just in love with the city from every aspect. It’s just so unique and different in terms of the community, the people, and the talents. It has so much character and charisma. It inspires me so much when I’m here. I love merging the two [New York and Asbury Park]. I almost feel like Asbury is like a version of New York by the beach but almost cooler and much friendlier.

Sun: What got you into accessories?

I picked accessories because I just feel like you can do so much more with it than clothing. I feel like it’s more three dimensional. If you are wearing a pair of jeans and a white shirt, if you have a great bag, you still are saying – Hey I understand fashion.

Sun: Define The Experience by Crystal Kodada?

Kodada: Our philosophy is that we are about individuality rather than status. Our bags are built to empower women beyond the purse. Aside from the design details, all the bags have really intense functionality aspects. Our limitless tote is our best seller and I say it’s like your sidekick because it’s the end to the bottomless pit. We’ve eliminated that problem so that everything is at your fingertips. I design with a purpose. And, all our branding is embossed on the bottom because. It’s secret yet special because we are not all about having our name on it.

Sun: Where does your vintage inspiration come from?

Kodada:  I think it comes from going to vintage stores and shop, looking at bags from the 1940s and 50s when bag quality was at its prime. It also comes from Asbury because it has that vintage feel.

Sun: Define who your consumer is?

Kodada: We are really tied to our consumer. She’s fearless, she’s about individuality over status, she’s savvy, she appreciates functionality, she appreciates quality, and she wants to stand out. She doesn’t want to be like anyone else because she’s very in tune with herself and doesn’t need to prove anything. She’s adventurous. We know our girl and we really listen to her so we are really connected to her.

For more information about The Experience by Crystal Kodada, visit their website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

[Gallery photos courtesy of Kodada]

[Special thanks to Here2DayGone2MorrowAP for allowing feature photo shoot at Asbury Park boardwalk location]

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The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

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