We were aiming to launch LŪRA in the fall of 2020. But then the Pandemic hit, and everything got put on pause. There was so much uncertainty in that moment, and we had no idea what the future would entail. At first we were devastated, and at the same time relieved that we hadn’t launched right before the Pandemic. In any case, we were depressed.

But then, all of a sudden something unexpected happened, we found ourselves with so much time, something we weren’t used to at all. And we started to use that time to really think about what we wanted to do with LŪRA, what we wanted it to become. And then those months that at first felt so unlucky, turned into a kind of blessing for us. It gave us the time and space to really focus on and deep dive into the development of this amazing project.

There comes a time and place in your career when you know it’s your moment to do something that you’ve been preparing for all your life. Something that could create change, something that could bring you joy, something that you could give to others. We happened to be on a very similar career path when we put our heads and hearts together to create LŪRA. We had worked for so many years for the world’s best brands, we had become entrepreneurs, had formed families, and traveled the world. But we both felt that something was driving us to take on a bigger, more important project, and we knew instinctively that it was our moment to put our know-how, skills, and 50 years of combined experience together to create something bigger than the two of us.

A friend of ours after hearing about LŪRA was reminded of the Second Mountain theory, from David Brooks inspiring book, The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life. It’s described as follows: On the second mountain, life moves from self-centered to other-centered. They want the things that are truly worth wanting, not the things other people tell them to want. This really hit home for us because it described exactly what we were feeling. This is what we want LŪRA to be, a place, a brand, a community that will give women something they truly want and need, not something that society is telling them they need.

What’s beautiful about this chapter in our lives is not just about building a brand and community together, it’s also about giving to others while at the same time nurturing ourselves with friendship, trust, and a deep respect that keeps us bonded and helps us to grow closer every day. What a joy.

I am a bag designer. 

I am also an entrepreneur, a creative director, a mother, and a wife. But if you ask me what I do or what I am, I’ll tell you, I am a bag designer. 

I have been conceptualizing, designing, developing and producing bags for almost 25 years. I did this for my first brand in the past and for many other international brands that you would certainly recognize. In all these years of creating literally thousands of bags, I have never found the perfect bag. 

In fact, for 25 years I’ve been thinking and dreaming about a collection of bags that I needed, wanted and coveted for myself. Bags that were impeccably designed, beautiful to see, delicious to touch. Timeless. Hand made with uncompromising quality, but resilient, practical, and functional. Bags that I could use effortlessly, in any situation, anywhere in the world. Morning or night, casual or formal. Bags that were a true reflection of me and my lifestyle. Was it possible that no one in the world was making bags like these?

That’s when I finally decided to create these bags myself.
But then LŪRA started to take on a journey of its own, because I began to reflect not only on what I wanted out of my bags, but what I wanted out of a brand. That’s when I knew I had to reach out to my dear friend and former colleague Sandra Planeta. Who better than Sandra, an internationally renowned art director and brand builder, to help me to understand and create a world around these bags that would encompass so much more than fashion and leather goods?