Entrepreneur Libby McCarten Andrews '82 has turned her sense of style and passion for fashion into a fast-growing business. Her home-based company, Libby's Luxuries, offers exquisite custom bags, jewlery, and accessories for the fashion savvy at prices below most designer bags.
A stay-at-home mom with three young children, Libby decided she needed diversion from her daily schedule in the Chicago suburbs. After ordering new purses online for herself, she made the decision to sell them. "They were beautiful custom bags and the materials were of great quality," she said.
With a background in sales, Libby contacted the merchant and initially approached local upscale boutiques with two different styles of purses. A friend pursuaded her to show her bags at a party in her home, and, subsequently, the sales skyrocketed. "It was an overwhelming success," she exclaimed. "It led to another show then another, and before I knew it, I was completely booked!"
The bags are available in a variety of rich colors and exotic materials including Italian leather, genuine ostrich and snakeskin. " People have fun customizing their own bags with their own choice of color and hardware, and when they are complimented, they get a thrill because they can say they designed their own bag," said Libby.
Quickly expanding her product line, Libby added necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and belts featuring freshwater Tahitian pearls and semiprecious gems. Working with her supplier, she desgined a sterling silver basket-weave cone and circle clasp and trademarked a line of jewlery of pearls and semiprecious gems, which highlight the fastener and coordinate with mix and match enhancers. Libby admitted, " I don't have any formal training [desgining jewlery], but I come from a long line of jewlery lovers."
Libby has built her company from the ground up by herself; she has designed jewlery; created the website, www.libbysluxe.com ; placed orders; shipped merchandise; and showplaced her wares. In less than two years, her products are receiving rave reveiws and are in 30 stores in the Midwest, including Halls in Kansas City. Her products are selling quickly just by word-of-mouth from happy customers, including celebrities Jennifer Aniston and Joan Cusack. Her goal: to have her items in more stores, such as Nieman Marcus, Nordstroms and Saks Fifth Avenue. "Business is good," she announced, "plus, I can still be a stay-at-home mom and enjoy my children."
