Carlos Falchi (born September 26, 1944) is a Brazilian-born handbag and accessories designer known for his patchwork designs.[1] He has won awards for accessory design, and his accessories have appeared in several TV shows and movies. His business generates about $100 million a year in retail sales.[1]
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Falchi began his career in 1970s Greenwich Village, New York City. He worked as a busboy at Max's Kansas City while developing his designs; at one point his neighbor was Jimi Hendrix. His clientele were originally rockers and jazz artists.[1]
Retailer Geraldine Stutz, of Henri Bendel stores, gave Falchi one of his early breaks. His designs became fashionable and he rose to early success. The late-1980s collapse of the Japanese economy seriously affected his sales. He was a part of the It Bag trend of the 1990s-2000s. At one point a bad business decision caused him to lose his own name brand to another company.[1]
Falchi's bags often use skins such as python, alligator and ostrich and are soft and unstructured.
His main collection tends to be sold at upscale department stores for prices ranging from $1,500 to up to $5,000. In 2009, American discount retailer Target contracted with Falchi to produce a line of ten lower priced bags, using synthetic materials, that were sold at Target stores for November and December 2009.[1] He has also launched another lower priced line, Chi, which is sold on Home Shopping Network, where he has appeared.[1]
Falchi has been married 25 years to his wife, Missy, who he met while she was working for the special events office in a Neiman Marcus in Dallas. They have two daughters: Kate, who is a designer with her father's company, and Juliet, who works for Estée Lauder.[1]