Treesje Handbags: Why Celebrities Carry Them and Love Them

This Saturday, Treesje handbags hosted a special event at Saks in Beverly Hills.  Always in search of a better handbag, at a good price, I decided to check it out.  What I didn’t realize is that Treesje is a celebrity favorite.  I was astonished by the collection of towncars, Bentleys and Rolls Royces in the Saks parking lot. Apparently, everyone loves a deal on a good handbag!  Saks shoppers received a new piece from Treeje’s Sweet Little Goodies collection of leather cosmetic cases as a gift with purchase of a Treesje bag.  Those little bags usually retail for $98.00, to get one for free was a good deal.

I sighted actress Mena Suvari from the film, American Beauty, at the elevators near the Treesje display with her shopping bags.

Have you heard of Treesje? This small boutique line of handbags is designed by two Los Angeles designers, Laura Darrah and Shelia Nizzarian.  I was fortunate enough to interview Laura and learn how these two designers were able to launch their collection of bags and gain such an elite cliente. Laura tells me, “We meet as bridesmaids at a friend’s wedding. We named our handbag line, Treesje, after the friend.”  The line was launched in 2005, and one of the first to discover it was LA trendsetter Lauren Conrad.  She started carrying the bags before she was on the hit show The Hills.  She loved the uniqueness of the bags.  I asked Laura, what is it that makes them unique.  She replied, “I think its the blend of edgy funky touches plus classic influences.  Plus, we are two designers, so you really get two perspectives.” One of their top sellers, the Jovi bag was influenced by the classic style of one on my favorites, Chanel.

The Jovie bag is a cross body bag style, inspired by a 70s Chanel bag that had cross strap. The cross strap style makes it easy to carry across the body, with the weight falling on the hip. Other popular styles include the carryall bag with stud hardware,  their classic satchels in bright colors, the “Parker” hobo and the “Monroe” bowler bag (definitely lustworthy.) Clients include: Blake Lively, Gwen Stefani, Jessica Szohr, Scarlett Johansson, and Katherine Heigl.

I asked Laura what the hot trends are for Spring in handbags. She notes that bright colors are very hot. We’ll see more “acid yellow”, hot pink and teal being carried. Also, gun metal hardware, rivets and studs are on trend accents for spring and fall.  The Treesje bags are distinctive for their hardware touches. Studs, metal looped zipper pulls and belt buckle closures are signature touches.  As for prices, the bags range for $98.00 (Sweet Little Goodies) to over $500.00 (carryalls).  The price of the bags reflects the workmanship.  This is not “pleather” all bags are made of genuine Italian leather.

I asked Laura about warranties on the bags, since the bags are not cheap.  She notes, “All our bags come with a 1 year warranty.  Look for the warranty card inside the bag.  If there is a problem with the bag, you can use the warranty.”  All repairs are done by the designers in their Culver City offices.   So how can you get Treesje for less? Laura says, “Look for sales at the retailers who carry the bags.”  Retailers include: Nordstroms, Bloomingdales, Saks,  Luna Boston and Kitson US.  The bags are also sold outside the US at retailers in Canada, London, UK and select stores in Japan.  For discounts, look for them on Bluefly.com and of course, eBay. My best savings tip on these bags is to look for them at a great site called The Guiltless Purse.  They have the best discounts I have seen on these bags.  So look around a little bit, you can enjoy Treesje styles, but not pay retail 🙂  Watch for more Saks Treesje events across the US, and the deals offered there.