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    Handbag Queen

    Nancy Gonzalez's colorful world: Amid chaos, handbag queen stays calm while creating whimsical designs

    Clifford Pugh
    Dec 26, 2014 | 3:40 pm

    With cutthroat competition and the demand for new styles all the time, the handbag business is so chaotic that you don't often find a designer in a quiet place. But Nancy Gonzalez seems unusually grounded.

    While in Houston recently to meet customers and select fashion media at Saks Fifth Avenue, Gonzalez emanates a positive glow that's absolutely calming. What's her secret?

    Despite her hectic schedule, she spends at least two hours a day in meditation and prayer — "trying to listen to myself."

    "Trying to be happy," she says with a big laugh. "My biggest responsibility in life is to enjoy."

    Despite her hectic schedule, Gonzalez spends at least two hours a day in meditation and prayer — "trying to listen to myself," she says. "I believe in that. I think that everything comes from inside. You can't give what you don't have. I really work seriously on that.

    "Life is life. I really think that it's your responsibility how to face everything because you can't control many things. The only thing that you really can control is how to see things, how to face them and deal with everything you have to deal with every day."

    Sunny life

    Her sunny take on life is reflected in her handbags, which are colorful, luxurious and fun to show off. Since launching her business 15 years ago, Gonzalez has built a loyal clientele that crave her latest looks. She produces more than 400 styles a year, manufacturing in her home country of Colombia, where she has built a thriving business with 400 employees.

    Her son, Santiago Barberi Gonzalez, oversees sales, marketing, advertising, public relations and stores — "everything that has to be done but the bags," he says — while she concentrates on design and production. "I love production," she notes. "It's really a difficult part to develop everything — the colors, the materials. It's a long process and a huge challenge."

    "I really have a lot to learn, but that never ends. All of the time we are looking for new things."

    While colorful crocodile handbags have always been a mainstay of the brand, the collection in stores now also showcases flowers and kaleidoscope patterns, reflecting the tiles of the Moorish palaces in Seville, Spain. For spring 2015, the inspiration shifts to Venice, Santiago explains.

    "In the 1430s, civilization was transformed from these two cities. In Seville, the New World was coming and in Venice the Renaissance entered. Venice has particular colors, terrazzo and Bellini, where oil painting was invented, so the colors are translucent and bright . . . . (and) it's all about the architecture of the floors. In Rome you look at the ceilings. In Venice you look at the floors."

    Nancy Gonzalez really can't explain her success — "To be honest I don't know. I think it's a miracle. A lot of work. A lot of help from God," she says — but she concedes that she has created a product that women like.

    "It helps that I'm a customer. I know they we all need different things, new things, surprises and beautiful things. But at the same time they have to function. Not heavy things where you put a lot of things inside. I think that helps.

    "And listening to the customer who has a lot to teach me. I really have a lot to learn, but that never ends. All of the time we are looking for new things. The most important part is the emotion. It's something that attracts you that makes you want to have something."

    A floral dotted handbag is a centerpiece of a display of Nancy Gonzalez clutches.

    Nancy Gonzalez handbags at Saks Fifth Avenue
      
    Photo by Clifford Pugh
    A floral dotted handbag is a centerpiece of a display of Nancy Gonzalez clutches.
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    news/fashion

    ETHEREAL ELEGANCE

    Luxe Latin American brand taps Houston to debut new spring/summer line

    Gabi De la Rosa
    Apr 14, 2025 | 4:18 pm
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    Photo courtesy of Agua by Agua Bendita/Facebook
    Colombian-based brand, Agua by Agua Bendita, chose Houston for the debut of its Spring/Summer 2025 collection.

    Colombian-based luxury brand Agua by Agua Bendita is expanding into North America and has hand-picked Houston for the debut of its Spring/Summer 2025 Collection. The only Latin American clothing brand chosen to participate in the Gucci Vault program, Agua by Agua Bendita, which launched in 2021, is known for its hand-embroidered fabrics and ethereal aesthetic.

    Friends and fashion design students Mariana Hinestroza and Catalina Alvarez began their ready-to-wear clothing line over 20 years ago by making swimsuits from leftover fabric scraps in Medellin. The founders then partnered with local artisans and developed a more luxurious concept with hand-embroidered fabrics and an "always on vacation" resort line.

    Agua by Agua Bendita has grown a large following over the past few years and has garnered the attention of not only Gucci, but also Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and Women's Wear Daily. The brand partnered with South to North to host a year-long pop-up in Highland Park Village in Dallas last year, and during that time, they discovered that Houston is the key sales driver in the Texas region.

    "Texas has always been a strong market for us, with an incredibly engaged customer base that truly connects with our brand DNA. We had a pop-up in Dallas last year that was run by Alejandra Bravo and Luisa Babarczy of South to North, and it was a total success," Lina Segura, U.S. retail executive for Agua by Agua Bendita, tells CultureMap. "But Houston, in particular, stands out because of its diversity, vibrant energy, and deep appreciation for fashion, making it the perfect place to showcase our beautiful pieces. Being in Dallas allowed us to interact with Houston, and we've seen the great value this market has."

    Agua by Agua Bendita, the beloved Colombian brand known for its hand-embroidered artistry and deep reverence for Latin American culture, will debut is Spring/Summer collection in Houston. Photo courtesy of Agua by Agua Bendita/Facebook

    Located in Autry Park, South to North will host the Spring/Summer 2025 collection for one week beginning on Tuesday, April 15. South to North's Houston and Austin locations are dedicated to showcasing a selection of globally recognized luxury brands that best exemplify Latin American designers' artistry, heritage, and craftsmanship. Many of the brands found in their shops are in the Texas market for the first time.

    "Their space reflects a thoughtful and curated vision that aligns beautifully with our brand, so partnering with them feels only natural," said Segura. "No one in Texas is doing what they are doing at the level they are, and honestly, partners like them are hard to find at a national level."

    The latest collection from Agua by Agua Bendita is inspired by the beauty of nature's awakening in spring and features soft colors, airy fabrics, and newly inspired silhouettes. "From intricately embroidered dresses to luxurious swimwear, pareos, and sets crafted in fine fabrics like pearl linen and silk faille, each piece blends timeless elegance with a sense of lightness, perfect for sunny escapes and everyday moments," said Segura.

    ----

    South to North, 3711 Autry Park Dr. #200; (210) 593-8506

      

    Photo courtesy of Agua by Agua Bendita/Facebook

    Colombian-based brand, Agua by Agua Bendita, chose Houston for the debut of its Spring/Summer 2025 collection.

    agua benditasouth to northautry parkagua by agua bendita
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