freddy&ma

meet the new mrs.schultz

One of our finest textile designers, Susie Ulsh, got married this weekend and f&m was there to represent! Ma was a bridesmaid and created 8 custom clutches for Sus and her 'maids, all prints by Susie  in custom colorways to complement her scheme.....we were all rockin our bags at the after party and I even had time for a costume change so I could carry my favorite electric blue iolanda - ladies if you're getting married, look no further than F&m to create some gorgeous custom bags for your special day - the girls will LOVE them - xoxo

a tiny gift with a big surprise for Mother's Day

The best gifts come in cute packages.

Just in time for mother's day, Freddy&Ma is introducing our Minnie gift kit.  Each kit contains our lovely leather Minnie coin purse, fabric and leather swatches and a gift card to design a 'full size' F&M handbag or home product.  All orders placed before 5/9/08 will receive FREE express mail shipping.  The Minnie is available in 9 colors, but we only have limited quantities in each, so order yours today to make sure you get the exact one you want!

Click here to purchase

omg we are so behind

it's been absolute madness at f&m lately, hence our sparse blog posts.......we are working on it, you'll start seeing improvements very soon.  in the meantime, people are still talking about us and we've been around now for 2 years!! hard to believe, specially for us.  check out some recent press and stay tuned for new posts.

our new website FINALLY launched

Exactly two years to the day that the original Freddy&Ma site launched, we have launched a new website.  While most of the changes are behind the scenes, many many many changes were made to the site to make it easier to navigate and also, to make it easier to design custom bags, pillows, plates and some other products we have in the pipeline.  Head over to www.freddyandma.com, click around and let us know what you think in the comments for this post!

The Freddy&Ma Minnie

Check out our newest bag, the Minnie.  This little clutch comes in variety of funky leather colors and is the perfect addition to your larger Freddy&Ma bags.  They even have our F&M monogram embossed on the outside.  Click here to purchase.

more shots from florida (new bag preview)

we are hiring! know any good marketers/event planners?

As you may have noticed, we have been growing by leaps and bounds here at F&M.  As such, we are looking to expand our team and will be posting a few different positions we have available on here over the next few months.

The first position we have available is for a marketing manager/event coordinator for our custom events.  Our event business has been rapidly expanding and we would like to find someone to manage the business development, marketing and execution of these events.  It is a very interesting position and would be a great fit for a a seasoned marketer looking to work for a smaller company where their work can make a large impact.  Read more below:

it's taking all of my willpower.......

not to start bidding on Sweet Valley High books on ebay......I used to have to sneak-read these books in middle school, at which point I was only supposed to be reading Sweet Valley Twins.....my curiousity was sparked by a recent post on gawker re new cover art and I got all nostalgic for those great late 80s early 90s covers with illustrations of Jessica & Elizabeth......Judy Blume aside, these are still some of my favorite books (make fun, i don't care).......I think one of the best volumes was "the new jessica" where she decides she's tired of being a twin and goes all brunette on us......I had a similar experience 2 summers ago when I thought I might be tired of looking like.....well....I have no twin, so.....myself......and like me, Jessica realizes she's better off blond......ah, what an important life lesson to know your true hair color personality.......oh and I just have to mention some of my favorite characters....Lila Fowler, Bruce Patman and Enid.....oops I just placed a bid, must sign off ebay NOW.

new styles coming soon!

we just wrapped an intense shoot with my favorite photographer, courtney brooke, in south florida, highlighting some of our new styles debuting in Summer '08.......lots more images to come and new styles and a brand new website......email me for more info amy@freddyandma.com

Washington Woman

Wall Street Journal

People Style Watch

Lucky Spring Bag Guide

Check out F&M's newest style, the Josephine pouch, in the April issue of Lucky.

Vote Tote sales so far...

Curious how our Vote Totes have been selling?  Check out the graph below which shows who is winning our 'election'.  Two things to note: Democrats as a whole are doing quite well, though Hillary sold 90% of her bags before Christmas, since then Obama has ruled the roost.  The second is that with thousands of totes in circulation, our goal has been achieved of getting out our message of the importance of voting and participating in the political process!!!

jcrew, again

   
Recently I wrote about the fantastic jewelry collection at jcrew.com......and paging thru my new catalog this morning I feel compelled once again to give a shout out to the brand.......they have continued to impress me with their well designed clothing and new product catagories, most notably their bridal and crewcuts lines......I doubt that my personal style has ever even bordered on "preppy" but jcrew makes me want to wear seersucker and cashmere twinsets  and argyle!! seriously!! Their newest catalog story was shot at this fantastic house in Palm Springs designed by Richard Neutra in 1946 and featured a crewcuts mini catalog with the most adorable children's clothing I have ever seen.....you know because every three year old girl needs a hot pink shift dress with jeweled neckline for $248.....anyone who knows anything will agree with me ; )

cool closet = free bag

We're always intrigued by personal style, both in apparel/accessories and home (isn't it obvious?).....but there is something really fascinating about someones closet..... not just in terms of the contents, but also their layouts, organization, and overall "fun-ness"......I often go into my closet, blissfully reorganize and uncover some long lost treasure, and sometimes it's even more fun than regular shopping (sometimes).....last weekend we decided that it might be really cool to offer a free custom hazel purse to the person with the "best" closet.....so start sending 'em in, pics of your closet that is......and april 1st we will post the results and a little profile on the lucky winner.  Boys, don't feel excluded! If your closet rocks, we will offer you 2 groovy richie pillows in lieu of a new bag.....so please send to amy@freddyandma.com and use the subject line "why my closet is the best"......ready -- go!! Here are a few peeks into my personal closet.....please ignore the wire hangers, it's a work in progress!!

make fun of me all you want....

...but I love to dress up my dog....and apparently I am not alone as there are thousands of adorable outfits to be had.....one of my favorite websites is barker&meowsky because they have really great sophisticated quality apparel....send us your favorite shops, we would love to check them out.....that's my doggie rocco, modeling a very sporty jacket.....my next purchase is going to that awesome little democrat t shirt...i also love the yamulke, a very cute gift

Freddy&Ma in the LA Times

Our Vote Totes were mentioned in an article in this Sunday's LA Times.  Check it out here.

As we all know, Ma loves LA so I am sure she is glad to see that she was quoted....

Sure, T-shirts skew young, which suits Obama's demo. So -- would Clinton's fans be more apt to wear their politics on their arm? Nope. Freddy & Ma, a custom online handbag designer, introduced "Vote Hillary" and "Vote Obama" totes in November for $25 apiece. The Obama version quickly became the political "it" bag. And last week, co-owner Amy Pigliacampo decided to mark down the Clinton bag to $10. "We had to put the Hillary totes on sale because we still have a lot left," she says. "And it's almost over."

jennifer rose

when we first met f&m designer jennifer rose, she was a manhattanite working for tracy reese, one of our favorite designers....now the former new yorker is working in Colombus, OH as designer for Ruehl Women's Knits at the A&F Home Office in Columbus, Ohio.  While she doesn't have too much to report about Columbus, she admits it's not as bad as most people in New York think it is (esp since she met the love of her life there)...jen says, "being a Designer at A&F is fun, challenging and lets me travel the world (yay), but it's independent projects like designing prints Freddy & Ma that really get me inspired" (we paid her to say that).  You can find jen's prints online when you are in step 2 and you click the dropdown menu and search by designer.  As you may know, closet space in NYC is precious so you can imagine how jealous we were when jen sent us these fantastic pictures of her color-coordinated closet in Columbus (chock full of vintage & TracY Reese).

people all over the world

love to wear prints (lucky for us)....ethnic prints are so strong this season, and we're pleased to present a new collection from Inigo Elizalde, inspired by a recent trip to South Africa.  Go to www.freddyandma.com to place your order now!

Family Circle

Arizona Bride

Wisconsin Bride

Portland Bride & Groom

Foam

Women's Health

Brides

yellow fever

I've been noticing so much yellow lately...a color that I never considered as an option for me, having blonde hair and all.....but I keep buying yellow items, most recently these fantastic open-toed oxford slingback, see below.  We have so many fantastic prints this season in various shades of yellow and I have to say, it just makes you feel happy! (it's also my mom's favorite color) There really is a shade for everyone you just have to experiment.....it also looks soooo great with gray, such as gray tights or cardigan, which means you can start sporting that new spring wardrobe asap.

People Style Watch

off the rack wedding glamour at nordstrom!?

wedding dress shopping has gotten (in my humble opinion) increasingly out of hand in recent years with dresses costing upwards of 5K ......everything below is kind of not so cute and a little on the cheesy side (generally speaking).....but look at these fantastic options from nordstrom, all available for $500 or less! at these prices you can have a few costume changes ; )

delightful discovery

while visiting harrisburg (where freddy&ma grew up) this weekend I stumbled upon this amazing vintage store called the pampered peacock and walked out with 4 bags overflowing with dresses, belts, scarves and slips......the store itself was adorable, the presentation was very organized and easy to shop and the selection was really fantastic, lots of 70s and 80s dresses (my personal favorites)....i'll be making monthly visits to this spot for more!

Lucky Magazine

Everyday with Rachel Ray

We here at F&M love Rachel Ray, so naturally we were very pleased to see this.

Print Hint

Pssst...this new print by Sarah Renert looks good on everything! Large bags like totes? Check. Small clutches like the envelope? Check. Pillows & Plates? Yep!

VOTE today (if you can)

It's super tuesday.  If you live in one of these states, take a few minutes and head to the polls.  No matter which way you lean, fall into a polling booth today because our country is a lot better off with your political view expressed than without it.  And if you have not purchased one yet, our vote totes are a GREAT way to express your political bent.  We are selling them 20% off today, use the code SUPERTUES during checkout.

Spring Things

Blue Zebras

While perusing an old issue of Domino magazine the other night I came across this gorgeous wallpaper from the portfolio of NYC interior designer Ashley Whittaker. I've always loved zebra, but in navy blue, this classic print gets a whole new lease on life.

looking for sales/marketing divas who love handbags

So we are expanding things here at Freddy&Ma.  We have both full-time and intern positions available in our sales/marketing department.  For more information, please email us. 

'it' bags are out - long live the custom handbag

Freddy has been saying it for years....'it' bags are out.  In his 'humble' opinion, once everyone has the same bag it starts to lose its mystique.  This is why F&M offers custom handbags, we like to think everyone wants something a bit more unique than the next woman on the subway.  The Wall Street Journal has a very interesting article today discussing this decline of the 'it' bag.  It is definitely worth taking a look at.

A few choice quotes:

"The 'it' bag isn't important any more," says Stephanie Solomon, women's fashion director at Bloomingdale's. "It's all about looking different from your neighbor."

"I felt like, 'Gee, all these bags are so attainable by a lot of people that everyone's carrying around that bag,' " says Ms. Weisburd, a 59-year-old homemaker who lives in New York City. "I wanted something that was more exclusive."

Track It

Maybe it's all the Australian Open I've been watching, but lately I can't get enough of sporty separates, especially anything track or tennis inspired. There's just something so fun and spring-y about this stuff. I think I miss gym class.

From Top Left: Muscle Tee, Tulip Skirt, Sequin Tennies, Wind breaker, Duffle, Hi Tops

Casting hardware is so much fun

                                                                                                      We are in the final stages of producing our spring/summer bag collection (it will be up on the website in a few short weeks) and today we approved the final brass masters used to cast some of our new hardware pieces.  Check out our new monogram logo (which is featured on one of our upcoming all leather styles!) and our new metal nameplates.  Expect a lot more cast hardware from F&M in the coming months, this was a little experiment and we are very happy with how it turned out.

Springtime is nigh!

Unbelievable but true. In just a few short weeks (ok 8 or so) the clouds will part and the sun will shine and flowers will bloom and the slip n' slide will be back in McCarren Park. Ahh spring. This sunflower pitcher and I might just throw a little garden party to celebrate.

another day at the F&M office

Yes, that is a quasi-portable hair salon style hair dryer.  We here at F&M go to great lengths to maintain our appearances.  Especially Ma.

What has four legs, 1 back, and 2 arms?

A chair, of course!

I'm sure you've all caught on to the trend in the furniture design world of reupholstering antique furniture (especially lovely if said furniture happens to be of the danish modern variety). How fabulous would these chairs look with F&M prints? Pretty fabulous people...prrreeettyyy fabulous.

From top (clockwise): Lotus Bleu slipper chair, Milo Baughman recliner, Astrid chair, Mamello Chaise, Astrid Chair (Thanks to Leah at More Ways to Waste Time for pointing these out)

P.S. Does the chaise on the left remind anyone else of Pee Wee Herman?

If I had $2,000 to drop on a chandelier...

...the world would be a prettier place, I'd be a happy camper, and one of these lovely ladies would be hanging in my bathroom.

From left: Effervescent, Cellula, Abalone, Murano

we love a good cocktail (ring)

preppy is probably one of the last words I would use to describe my personal style, and I've always thought jcrew was the epitome of prep.....but lately I've been increasingly impressed with their styling, some of their really cute creative pieces and most recently their jewelry collection which is heavily vintage inspired.....these are some of my favorites.....

best new years ever

New Years Plans changed drastically when I learned on Sunday afternoon that old friends were in Miami with an extra ticket to see R Kelly......so instead of staying home and feeling sorry for myself, I jumped in a cab and headed back home to pack, get my nails done and get a replacement dress for the one that never showed up......I found the most PERFECT dress at Banana Republic of all places and had my gold leather "iolanda" clutch and some super high heeled sandals....and headed to Miami.....the weather was perfect and I spent a couple of hours on the beach in my new swimsuit and curlers in my hair........the concert was amazing and during Keisha Cole's performance, none other than the fabulous Diddy, or Puffy, or Sean Combs, whatever he calls himself came onstage rockin' the most FABULOUS diamond necklace I have ever seen.  Major bling.  While R Kelly has a rather inappropriate taste for teenage girls, his music is really fantastic....as where his dancers.  2008 is going to be a fantastic year.

LA is so good to me

Living proof that I did everything I set out to do (as documented by my post on December 23) including but not limited to: eating In-N-Out, driving around in convertibles, and partying at Les Deux. Thus my work here is done. Happy New Years everyone!

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles

This LA eatery has stolen my heart once again. It sounds weird at first, but you'd be surprised how well chicken and waffles get along on a plate.  Apparently, the first Roscoe's was opened by a Harlem native, but then why oh why, don't we have any of these in NY?!?!