 BagTrends: Prior to launching eenamaria, what where you doing?
Sarah Morgan: I was doing my Masters in Industrial Design at Pratt Institute, which is where I launched my business with the aid of the Industrial Design department. Prior to that, I was working in the World Music Industry in the UK, Canada and then New York.
BT: Where does the name “eenamaria” come from?
SM: Ena Maria Pompa was my mother’s maiden name. So in honor and celebration of her fabulous life as a model and then successful restaurateur, I named the business after her and added an extra ‘e’ so people would pronounce it correctly!
BT: You’ve said that the East Village is where trends are created before they are taken over by the Guccis and Louis Vuittons of the world.
Are you inspired a lot by that area and the people that live there?
SM: I am inspired by people who dress authentically as themselves. In other words, they truly conceive who they are, understand their body shape and their personal style and look to flatter their strong points. In my mind, they are being conscious about how they choose to present themselves to the world. So, I pull from London, Paris, Barcelona, LA...it really depends on those moments when you see someone who looks so beautifully thought out, there is a beautiful poetry and a romance conjured just by looking at them. I guess I like drama!
BT:: At the core, who is the eenamaria woman?
SM:: She is authentically herself. She is not exhausting herself with a role into which she does not truly fit. It’s a scary place to live if you’re new to it, but so rewarding and freeing. She’s never concerned by the name of the brand that she’s wearing, but rather by the way that she carries herself within the world around her, even down to her clothing.
BT:: How are you, Sarah Morgan, the embodiment of the eenamaria woman?
SM:: I have definitely focused tirelessly on making sure I am the most authentic version of who I can be, what I want and how I want to live my life. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea and I’m sure to many does not make sense, but to me, my life fits like a glove. My most exciting upcoming move is to Rockaway, where I will be able to focus more on my surfing and preparing myself for what is going to be the meteoric rise of eenamaria over the coming years.
BT: You came out with a "shagadelic" bang in 2008. Where you greatly inspired by your fellow Brits like 60s icons Twiggy and Dusty Springfield?
SM: 2008 was definitely a departure in look and feel. As we become a more publicly known brand, it will become obvious that this is always our goal, to present what is the most fascinating to me that season, while still fitting within what people want to see in the stores. I felt there was a real need for simplicity, color and a sense of surprise last year. My designs were true to my commitment to change and forward thinking. In our collections in 2007, we were doing leather belt bags that fit on leather hobos. It was inspired by 19th Century Welsh military and the collection prior to that was inspired by the British aristocracy. While I am often drawing from my British heritage, I am always looking to America to put those ideas into context. So, I always name the collections after New York neighborhoods.
BT: Eenamaria’s Fall 2009 offering is a departure from spring. What can our readers expect?
SM: A rebirth of what is captivating! The collections fulfill a few different needs. Sporty, Celebratory and Work. The three sides to woman!
BT: Why have you decided to make New York home for you and eenamaria?
SM: I came to New York because I quickly identified it was a Mecca for all things cultural. I grew up in a Bohemian family, where politics mingled with art, literature and history while I lived between English boarding school, the Welsh Valleys, the outback in Canada and then traveled through Europe in a VW van for months at a time in the summers. Growing up in this environment, it makes you hungry to continually expand, grow and understand the world. New York is truly a melting pot of all the places I used to have to travel to see.
BT: What has been the most exciting moment thus far in the history of your brand?
SM: Launching on QVC has been the most recent big success, but for each step in the growth of the company there has been successes that at the time were such great fuel to keep us going, it meant the world to us at the time.
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BT: What bag are you
currently carrying?
SM: I am currently carrying the ‘Workin It’ Satchel. It holds everything, including my laptop. It’s fun and sporty and perfect for the summer, when I like to give my car a break.
BT: If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be and what bag would you be carrying?
SM: I would be at the beach surfing, that’s what summer should be about, all those outdoor activities that you don’t get to do when you live in a climate that has definite seasons. I always like to try and play the games specific to each season. So, I would be carrying my
Workin' Weekend Baby Tote
 carry-on. It fits my towel, wet suit, rash guard, change of clothes, water and a sandwich. Plus, since its made of vinyl, the sand doesn’t get absorbed through the fabric and I’m ok with it getting dirty, because its easy to wipe clean.
BT: Complete the following: I can’t live without my…
SM: ...Mercedes Jeep and its matching weekend duffle
bag from Indian Spice collection previewing at New York, London, Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks in September.
BT: A great bag is better than…
SM: …worrying if you match.
BT: Every woman needs to own…
SM: …a Swiss Army Knife! Girls need to be more prepared for any situation. Be your own knight in shining armor!
BT: It takes more than just design skills to launch a brand and to have picked up by the stores and press as quickly as you have done with eenamaria. We have a lot of designers reading
BagTrends and they would love to know what is your secret to success?
SM: Persistence, persistence, persistence and building an AMAZING team of people to support your dreams, even in your personal life! Since you’re going to fall over and make lots of terrible mistakes, it’s nice to have people that will pull your skirt back down into place when you’ve managed to fall head first and flash your knickers to everyone!
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