Interview with Pamela Peckerman, Founder of Bag Trends

We love to visit the site Bagtrends.com to get the latest scoop on what's haute in the handbag world. So we had to get the inside scoop on style from the fashionista who started it all, Pamela. With several internships at some of our favorite magazines like Instyle and a journalism degree from NYU, Pamela has an intelligent take on fashion. Here's what she had to say about her style.

HM: Describe your style in one word.
P: Elegant

HM: What is your best-kept fashion secret?
P: Pashminas. Love them for winter as a thick scarf. Love them for early spring and fall as a throw. I have them in a dozen colors and it’s just a great way to complete my preferred elegant/ladylike looks. Plus if a particular color is in style this is a nice way to inject it into my fashionable repertoire. My other little tidbit is BBC - bags, babbles and coats. That is where I invest my money because a fierce bag, ring or coat can last you a lifetime.

HM: Where is your favorite place to shop for handbags?
P: Of course I love Shop Bag Trends! But I also like Saks or if I know the designer really well I’ll go to them directly or to their showroom.

HM: Who is your style icon?
P: I love Grace Kelly, both Audrey and Kate Hepburn, and Lulu Guinness.
What is the biggest fashion mistake a woman can make when it comes to handbags?
Multibagging. I can’t stand when I see a nice bag and then a paper bag from Victoria Secret or Bloomingdales. Find something that fits your life. Or if you let’s say carry a laptop occasionally, find a case that matched your regular bag so that there is some continuity.

HM: What is one lesson you are grateful for learning throughout your career in fashion?
P: Don’t be afraid to try something. There are many outfits I put together that I feel I would never have the courage or maybe even the vision to put together if I wasn’t constantly surrounded by amazing designers, stylist and fashionistas.

HM: What advice would you give to young fashion handbag designers trying to make their fame?
P: E-mail me because I’m usually good at getting back to designers especially if they are asking for advice. But, seriously, I would say it’s great to have unique ideas, but it’s equally as important to know the business of fashion. That means understand how to create your brand and your story (so you stand out) then us that to either get your own press or hire a pr firm. A great pr firm can make your brand. PR is expensive and there are a lot of options out there so do your homework and ask around for referrals or go on websites of designers you like and see who reps them.

HM: If you could give women a fashion tip to be fabulous what would it be?
P: This is actually sort of a spin from a line a journalism professor once told me. She said “Never put out a story if you don’t have at least one to-die-for line in it.” Meaning that one line that just makes you smile and feel great that you wrote it. So, with a fashion twist, never step out the door if you don’t at least have one item on that makes you smile and feel amazing about being you. For me it’s usually a handbag (of course), but it could be your scarf, skirt, pin, even a hair cut.