Welcome 2021
Everyone has a Plan, until they get punched in the mouth… -Mike Tyson Family, friends, clients, and the Beau Satchelle community, our team sends you an abundance of love and appreciation as we all start anew in 2021. I cherish…
Tag Business in Detroit
A Christmas Message from Beau Satchelle
As another Christmas is upon us and the mad rush to meet the deadline to prepare for the holiday for family and friends is approaching fast and furious, Beau Satchelle wanted to take this opportunity to stop for just a moment and post a message of reflection. For us, this has been a year of transitions which involved some surprises, plenty of accomplishments and a few disappointments. We are grateful for our blessings in our first year of growth and continuing to do introspective work for our business and as individuals. Being an entrepreneur takes more commitment than one can believe possible. Possessing the ability to ignore all the distractions that can hinder your focus and surrounding yourself with positive, like-minded people are betting on your success is priceless. As we reflect on where we are as a business, the realization that our knowledge has come from many directions, I would like to touch on three areas that have impacted Beau Satchelle’s growth. Continuing Education Without a doubt, after the 2008 Recession, we saw the growth of many aspiring American entrepreneurs. And, as we all compete for consumer dollars, the ability to offer quality in products and services is important. Although we study our direct competitors in the luxury leather industry, we gain even more from other industries. We are inspired by tech companies with their visionary abilities; we admire five star hotels and resorts that leave no stone unturned to please their guests and pay homage to the selflessness organizers of the charities that we’ve partnered with who work so hard to help those less fortunate. We appreciate artists, designers and engineers of all fields who value producing quality, strive for sustainability and embrace beauty and creativity. The Internet’s Influence The emergence of the internet has allowed entrepreneurs to […]
All I Want For Christmas Is….
Growing up, it was interesting being incredibly introverted, except for when it came to my tastes in “stuff” which were quite unusual and exotic for a child! It was never ordinary and when I asked for toys my childhood friends wouldn’t even dream of. Loving it, being the exception, and the more unique the better. When the Sears and JC Penny Christmas catalogs came out, I meticulously looked through them wanting to be sure I left an outstanding list for Santa on Christmas Eve. As an adult, the Christmas list experience is still a pleasurable process, combing the high end websites, such as Robb Report or Nieman Marcus just as meticulously for that one of a kind gift that can be place under the Christmas Tree. A girl can dream… Asprey Lambskin Scrabble Board www.asprey.com The British Luxury Brand specializes in jewelry and luxury goods and has created the iconic gift for the consummate Scrabble player to have at the ready for guests on the yacht or private jet. The board is made out of Grey, Red, Green and Black Lambskin; Red English Saddle leather presentation case; Black lambskin letters housed in a purple velvet Asprey pouch and 4 black lambskin racks to hold the playing letters. Describing this as a luxurious game board is an understatement. -$11,950 Qlocktwo Table Clock http://qlocktwo.com If you want a conversation piece for your home office, don’t look any further. Manufactured by Biegert & Funk, this is a standout of timepieces. Unlike a traditional clock, it has no hands nor digits. The time is displayed by written word through a pattern of letters spelling out the time in words. The screen is illuminated by brilliant LED technology. The company also designs this technology for a wall display or for your wrist. -Sold at Neimen […]
The Backstory of Beau Satchelle
As 2016 quickly comes to a close we wanted to celebrate the end of our first year with a blog about our history. We get a number of questions asking about our background and the origin of Beau Satchelle. So in the beginning…destiny weaved her way into our lives. Co-founders, April Bayles (AJ) and T. Michael met in late 2007 and discovered they shared similar passions and interests. After countless discussions about the love and challenges of being an entrepreneur and eventually T. Michael sharing his business model of a luxury brand, a partnership was developed and Beau Satchelle was conceived. A native Detroiter and proud University of Michigan graduate, at a very young age, April adored anything to do with fashion…clothes, hair, accessories. Taught by her Mom how to sew and had inherited a talent for drawing from her Dad, she dreamed of becoming a high end fashion designer. However, life happened and she became distracted with other interests and put her love for fashion on the backburner. Her experiences through college and various jobs along with her serial entrepreneurship ventures prepared her for the opportunity to come full circle and work on building a business brand that focuses on the lifestyle of luxury. T. Michael, a Michigan native. While in college, had an initial urge to explore the art of leather crafting was when he was unable to find quality belts on a college student’s budget. So, after much research which entailed finding the local leather store and reading books on belt making, purchasing and using the right tools was the first step in what was then a necessity gone hobby to what is now an emerging business. Later in life, the situation reoccurred with the need of another briefcase after his career took him through several ‘brand […]
Interview with Grace of Color and Grace; Our New Brand Ambassador
This has been an exciting first year for Beau Satchelle. Creating a brand is a big challenge; designing, building, accounting, marketing, networking and most of all, selling. However, it couldn’t have ended any better than finding someone who can give you their side in an honest and well executed way. Therefore, we are proud and honored to feature our first Brand Ambassador in this exclusive interview. We initially saw Grace on social media and started to follow her, getting to know her style and fashion sense because we were and are looking for individuals who have a certain charisma about themselves who exudes class and sophistication; in which in this case, Grace definitely has. During that time, we were convinced we would approach her with an offer to evaluate one of our bespoke handbags just added to our luxury collection. With her stating she was an admirer of our products and brand, we realized it was a win/win for the both of us. For those of you who have been following us on social media, Grace has already interviewed our luxury designer and leather artisan, T. Michael with a two part interview and handbag evaluation on our ‘Michelle’ Bespoke Handbag. Here are the links if you haven’t read the posts and would like to catch up: http://colorandgrace.com/2016/08/24/michigan-bespoke-luxury-leather-goods-beau-satchelle-interview-1/ http://colorandgrace.com/2016/08/31/michigan-bespoke-luxury-leather-goods-beau-satchelle-interview-2/ http://colorandgrace.com/2016/09/23/michelle-bespoke-handbag-beau-satchelle/ You will see photos of her showcasing this luxury beauty in many coordinated looks; featuring other brands fashion attire. A casual photo of Grace with our Grace Bespoke Clutch Purse was designed for and named after her. She couldn’t resist the opportunity to not only showcase another one of our bespoke luxuries but have one designed, built and delivered to her home. The joy of creating beauty is something we love and cherish and to see Grace filled with delight is […]
Beau Satchelle Holiday Reveals Continued
Our team has been working non-stop to build an ambitious collection of treasured luxury leather goods ready for this time of the year. This blog post continues to reveal our latest products to be acquired for this holiday season. Two of the designs we are introducing in this post were inspired from receiving beautiful skins with deep colors that just spoke to our designer’s talent to create simple yet exquisite products. The first bag speaks for itself….. the color, the shape, the design. One of a kind! It had its public test drive at a couple of special events and without fail, many women swooned over this jewel. The bag is vintage inspired with a structured box look and matching handle made from a stunning gator embossed Italian lambskin in a dramatic lipstick red. Hand-cut and hand-sewn with fine black waxed thread, it was finished off with black hand dyed and burnished edges. The nickel plated hardware was selected perfectly to give more attention to this bespoke design. The interior is plush with matching red suede and a suede sleeve to hold your smartphone or smaller tablet. Executive Bridle Briefcase – Dressing down seems to be the norm at emerging companies, yet we see an uptick among men from the boardroom to celebrities who desire to embrace the well-dressed lifestyle with an array of stylish suits. Just as important, is the carefully selected accessories that range from bracelets, watches, ties, hats, lapel pins, cufflinks, pocket squares, belts, etc. needing to be in sync, subtle and elegant. To finish off that stylish look, let’s take a peek at a Beau Satchelle bespoke briefcase. Made of bridle leather in black, it was hand-cut and hand-stitched with black waxed Tigre thread and was finished off with black hand painted and burnished edges. The […]
Holiday Buying and the Bespoke Luxury Leather Goods Client
The leaves are changing color here in Detroit, which means that fall is here and winter is fast approaching. Winter, to many of us, means the holiday season, and with the holidays come along an entrenched gift-giving tradition. After years of buying gifts for the many people on your list, some of us are out of ideas for that perfect gift. After all, there are only so many ties and bathrobes and slippers that people can use, and some people are turning to digital programming for movies, so Blu-Rays are fazing out, as are books: since many people favor the electronic version. Still, we want to buy something nice for our loved ones, friends and business associates in our lives, to convey either love or appreciation for another holiday season. So what do we get? Have you considered a bespoke luxury handcrafted item? Located in Metro-Detroit, Michigan, Beau Satchelle is a local, small, luxury company designing and crafting luxury leather handbags, clutches, cases and connoisseur luxury goods like journals and wine holders. Never outsourced to other countries, our beautiful handcrafted leather goods are made by master craftsmen right here in Michigan, so they are works of art. What better gift than a beautiful luxury item made to last a lifetime? Luxury handbags are a great gift because they are used every day, and are a practical accessory that everyone notices as soon as you walk in the door. All of our bespoke leather goods are functional, yet luxurious handcrafted works of art. Hand-stitched with love and care, they convey confidence, professionalism, glamour, sophistication, style, elegance, and the good life. For that reason, they are a great investment. With proper care, our luxury leather handbags will last and last and be great go-to accessories that will compliment everything in your wardrobe. […]
Beau Satchelle Evening Handbags Are Ready For The Holidays!
The art of leather accessory design has layers of processes that only the artisan’s hands involved or a leather aficionado can appreciate. A well-made luxury bespoke bag takes 20-40 hours to make and entails hundreds, perhaps over a thousand, hand-sewn saddle stitches; all done with hand tools, two needles and thread. The choice of leather is a vital decision as to the ultimate look and feel of the product to ensure the owner’s delight of the product each time it is used. With those values and work ethic driving us, we are especially proud of the latest creations of our Master Leather artisan, T. Michael. This year, the number of requests to expand our luxury clutch offerings has amplified. Particularly with the upcoming holidays and celebrations looming on the horizon. As promised, it is our pleasure to introduce the first two bags that involve our eveningwear collection: The Grace Bespoke Clutch Bag (pictured above) is making its debut this November as a true one of a kind for Beau Satchelle. As with all of our products, it was necessary that we, first and foremost, provided good design and superior craftsmanship. The clutch’s design has a concave shape and is petite enough for a woman to comfortably carry in her hand. The leather is made from Italian lambskin in silver metallic and feels amazingly soft. The interior is made of black goatskin to contrast the silver exterior. This luxury jewel is sewn with fine waxed black thread and the edges are hand painted and hand burnished in black. An interior sleeve was created to provide accessibility for a Smartphone and keep it separated from other items like keys and makeup. The remaining interior has just enough room to carry a few personal items for that special evening out. A nickel chain […]
Beau Satchelle Happenings and Updates
The last month has been a whirlwind of activities for Beau Satchelle as we have been participating in several Metro Detroit Auctions to benefit some very worthy organizations and charities. We are also in the midst of getting prepared for a great holiday shopping season by positioning and promoting our bespoke luxury goods for one of kind gifts. Detroit Uncorked With an invitation from the Detroit Wine Association (www.detroitwine.org) we were honored to donate a bespoke leather piece for auction, named the “Emily Handbag” to the 12th Annual Detroit Uncorked Wine Extravaganza. The event’s proceeds benefit Gleaners Community Food Bank (www.GCFB.org ) one of the most significant charities in Metropolitan Detroit. Gleaners’ sole purpose is to solve hunger in Southeast Michigan through an intensive emergency food collection program that delivers millions of pounds of food to 535 community partners who in turn distribute to food pantries, shelters and schools. Over 20 restaurants and food vendors provide tasty hors’deuves while guests were able to sample over 250 Wines from all over the world from over 30 wine distributors and suppliers. The Silent Auction had a myriad of items ranging rare and vintage wines, work by local artists (including Beau Satchelle!), one of a kind wine lover collectibles and sports memorabilia. Spark 2016 Detroit Garment Group (www.detroitgarmentgroup.org), the non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate education and economic development opportunities for Michigan’s fashion community, as well as cut and sew manufacturers in all industries. In conjunction with their FashionSpeak 2016 conference, Beau Satchelle was privileged to donate one of our bespoke designed messenger handbags to their inaugural fundraiser SPARK. As a member of this association, we are fortunate to part of a fashion network that brings together professionals from across the State of Michigan and have the opportunity to rub elbows with […]
Detroit Welcomes FashionSpeak 2016
A favorite time of the year for Beau Satchelle is in October when one of Metro Detroit’s premier non-profit organizations educate and promote the growing cut and sew industry in Michigan. Their annual FashionSpeak is part education, part networking, and all about the business of fashion. It is a time for professionals (designers, manufacturers, retailers, buyers, and bloggers) in the industry from veterans to college students to meet and learn from each other. So here’s Beau Satchelle’s takeaways from a packed day of learning: The morning began with Lauren Kirsch Weiss who serves as a buyer at Freeds of Windsor who shared tips on surviving trade shows from two standpoints that of a designer displaying their lines and secondly being an efficient tradeshow buyer. From a designer’s view it comes down to doing good prep work prior to the show (especially reaching out to potential buyers), presenting the best of you and your designs during event, and solid follow-up post show. The second speaker was Amy Dietrich, a product development expert and design consultant at Restoration Hardware whose topic was “Determine and develop your best product” and we have covered many tips that have been in previous blogs which boils down to doing your homework about your product, your customer and your competition. Karen McDonald, a public relations expert was the presentation that was key for Beau Satchelle. She offered a number of suggestions on creating a public relations plan for an emerging design business that included having good photography, a strong website, developing a press release and 3 to 6 talking points, know media’s deadlines, and practice interviewing. Karen also invited Rebecca Voigt, stylist editor from Hour Detroit, a local luxury magazine and RJ King, editor of Dbusiness an online business magazine that focuses on Metro Detroit businesses to […]
