BagTrends: Tell us about your background and what led to the creation of Violet May.
Claire Collins: I worked in high tech manufacturing in the US for nearly 10 years on sales an marketing. By the late 90s I moved into internet and eventually moved back to Europe and continued in new media. The whole Violet May concept came about because I was a fashionable woman working in new media and no one was doing anything for digital lifestyle. There was an abyss in the computer handbag market that was male oriented or the bags were made it red, pink or flower prints. It was the same design for a man, but make it pink and it was supposed to appeal to women. I saw a need no one was playing in strongly. But also, I have had a passion for leather goods since my early 20s.

BT: What has been the response from female customers to Violet May?
Claire: We have had a great response from women to what we are doing. They are really excited that a company is focusing on bringing them digital lifestyle accessories that are fabulous yet practical and that suit the needs of modern day women.

BT: You produce Violet May handbags and accessories in an artisan shop in Spain. What have you found are the positive outcomes from this union?
Claire: Positive outcomes from working with our atelier in Spain is the quality of the product they can produce. It just has that certain something that cannot be re-created on a production line. Each of our items is constructed end to end by one craftsman and that just infuses a beauty that is difficult to quantify but people know it when they see/ touch and feel the product, Other positives are that we can offer limited edition runs of products as they are willing to work in smaller quantities and to offer us multiple colorway options.

BT: Are you surprised there aren’t other similar lux business handbag lines?
Claire: It did surprise me before I started Violet May that there were not more companies and designers targeting me as a stylish working woman. Most designers/brands approach women’s accessories from a purely aesthetic/fashion perspective and that has never been our approach. At Violet May we are attempting to innovate, to design products that are thoughtful and that fit with a modern woman’s lifestyle. We hold focus groups with professional women to get input on what products they would like, which is actually how the Blackberry purse concept came into being. There is just nothing more exciting than getting an email or a call from a woman who says that one of your products is exactly what she has been looking for for ages and that our brand really resonates with her.

BT: What’s next for your brand? Any expansion plans?
Claire: We’ve got some really gorgeous ideas still in the digital lifestyle category, but we are also looking into diversifying into related categories based on what our customers are asking us for. We’d also really like to expand our retail distribution internationally as we have so many customers from all parts of the globe who find us online and would like to be able to purchase in their home countries. Many do actually buy directly from us via our online boutique which offers VAT free shopping to those outside of the EU and courier delivery.
 
BT: Violet May aside, is there a brand or handbag style that you’re obsessed with?
Claire: I’m a big fan of vintage 1950s and 1960s pieces.

BT: What was the first big bag purchase you made?
Claire: I remember when I bough my first invest bag. It was a red Lancel bucket bag with pockets inside. I purchased it from Harrods during my first year of work. I was 21- or 22-years-old and it was a big day.

Pamela Pekerman, BagTrends Bag Guru