Carlos Falchi

Handbag and accessories designer Carlos Falchi was born in Brazil in 1944. In 1964 he moved to New York where he soon started working at Max's Kansas City a haunt of rock and roll artists and his talent for design quickly brought him into contact with the elite rock and pop stars of the day. It was not long before he began designing stage costumes for artists such as Miles Davis, Elvis Presely, Tina Turner and Mick Jagger.

By a strange twist of fate he was persuaded by the wife of musician Herbie Hancock to show samples of his work to Geraldine Stutz, who was at the time the buyer for Henri Bendel. It turned out that she was more interested in the bag he was using to carry his samples and immediately ordered a number of them. This led directly to the birth of his accessories collection.

For over 30 years now Carlos Falchi has been famous as an innovative designer of high quality women's handbags and accessories, who insists on the highest quality craftsmanship for his designs, using only the finest skins and leathers.

Celebrity Admirers of Carlos Falchi's Designer Bags

 His designs are available online at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Eluxury.

In 2004, Carlos Falchi received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Accessories Council. A number of his designs have been obtained by the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for their permanent collection.

Mr. Falchi has strived to develop farm-bred, exotic skins, thus protecting the species, providing environmental controls, and boosting employment in developing regions. These programs have been a success and in combination with Carlos Falchi’s dedication to the environment has led to an increase in the availability of high quality exotic skins. 

After a short break in the early '90s, Carlos Falchi re-launched his collection in 1999 and his designer goods are now proving highly popular again. His bags, wgich range from include sleek clutches to extra large hobos are famed for their utilisation of fine leathers and exotic skins, along with inventive finishes and new tanning techniques.

In a recent deal Target has commissioned Carlo Falchi to design its next handbag collection. Normally Falchi's snakeskin handbags retail for around $400 but as of October his bags will be available at Target for around $100 - the collection will comprise thirteen faux snakeskin bags in plum and teal, and collage and patchwork styles.

His fans include Tina Turner, Madonna, Susan Sarandon, Melanie Griffith and Cher and his designs have been used in many films and TV shows including Convoy, The Way We Were, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, As Good As It Gets, and “Sex in the City.”

His celebrity admirers now include recent stars such a Sienna Miller, Eva Longoria and Jessica Simpson.

Although Carlos Falchi is best known for his designer handbags he also designs belts, jewelry and ready-to-wear.

Carlos Falchi designs combine vivid colors, unusual textures and patterns, plus his own unique method treating the leathers he uses. “For me," he says "there is something magical about the creative process… I blend art and design to produce a dramatic and fresh take on the leather product.”

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