Be&D
Encyclopedia
Be&D is a manufacturer of handbag
Handbag
A handbag, or purse in American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag that is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, to hold personal items such as wallet/coins, keys, cosmetics, a hairbrush, pepper spray, cigarettes, mobile phone etc....

s. Its proprietors are Be Inthavong and Steve Dumain. The business was started in 2004. Its handbags are notable for incorporating Laotian designs, and are being sold at many upscale department stores in the U.S. and abroad.

Be & D is the brand redefining the concept of American luxury with a seamless blend of old-world craftsmanship and modern creative vision that consistently challenges the idea of limitations.

Designers Be Inthavong and Steve Dumain started Be & D in 2004, at the kitchen table of a Greenpoint, Brooklyn loft. It was here that the duo created their very first design, the Garbo, modeled after a vintage bag found on holiday in a Beirut market. The bag quickly became an international phenomenon, catapulting Be & D onto the scene as a new force in the luxury market.

The Be & D collection is constructed from the finest premium leathers, exotic skins and custom hardware. Today, the brand has grown to encompass day and evening bags, belts and small leather goods including wallets, keychains and pochettes, which are designed and produced in Be & D’s New York atelier.

Inthavong and Dumain believe strongly in the hands-on tradition of storied European luxury houses and have re-created this same practice in their Garment District design studio. They personally train their sewers, teaching them the intricacies that define Be & D and work alongside them to ensure that every piece is created with the strictest attention to detail and quality. This capability to manufacture in-house and locally helps for a shorter speed-to-market, also giving the company the ability to fill re-orders often in less than 2–3 weeks. The atelier also allows for bespoke services to private clients and special-orders for wholesale customers. In addition, the designers are able to stretch the boundaries of innovation as evidenced by a cable-knit laser-cut leather scarf made entirely by hand that was part of the A/W 2007 collection. That same year, Be & D launched its e-commerce site www.beandd.com.

Also in 2007, Be & D debuted its first shoe collection. The designers acknowledged that Italy was still the best place to make small quantities of expertly crafted shoes, and traveled to Tuscany to work side-by-side with skilled artisans to help realize their vision - continuing the same approach they use in their New York factory. With its signature gold soles and variety of heel heights, the line was created to compliment and merchandise with each main season’s core offerings.

In addition to their seasonal collections, Be & D has collaborated with ready-to-wear designers, including Ruffian and most recently Doo.Ri (A/W 09) in developing accessories for their New York Fashion Week runway presentations. In the pipeline for 2009 are additional strategic partnership opportunities with like-minded luxury companies both within and outside of the fashion industry.

Be & D is targeted toward a sensibility rather than an age group, where each piece is timeless yet relevant. Be & D is beloved by top editors, stylists and fashion influences around the globe and has been photographed on the likes of celebrities such as Leighton Meester, Kate Moss, Lindsay Lohan, Daisy Lowe, Mena Suvari, Eva Longoria, Liv Tyler, Charlize Theron, Jessica Biel and Penélope Cruz. The collection is carried at luxury boutiques, department stores and select online retailers worldwide including Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols, Villa Moda, Lane Crawford, Luisa via Roma, Boutique 1, Harrods, Selfridges, Kurt Geiger, Intermix, Madison, Kirna Zabete, Nordstrom, Isetan, Capretto, Elyse Walker, Shop Bop and Net-a-Porter.

Be Inthavong

Be Inthavong is a native of Laos, where his family has owned a silk mill for over 200 years. After immigrating to the United States at age eight, Be began sketching, and the influence of his legacy was apparent from the first drawing. After graduating from Texas Christian University with a degree in Biology, Be was drawn back into the world of fashion. With no formal training, Be spent the next 10 years honing his innate skills in accessories design and production as co-designer and owner of a hair accessories company. Longing to further explore and experiment with textiles, his first love, Be channeled his parents entrepreneurial spirit and set out on his own. A chance meeting with fellow creative force Steve Dumain would ignite the spark that led to the establishment of Be & D.

Steve Dumain

Steve Dumain was raised on a horse farm in upstate New York. Growing up, his unique sense of style was born out of his obsession with rummaging through local thrift stores, where he also accumulated a collection of antique luggage. After graduating from the University of Vermont, with a degree in International Business, Spanish and Art, Steve lived and traveled in Europe and South America. It was there he explored his fascination with fine art and sculpture - and the idea that an artist’s hands could create infinite possibilities. He returned to New York and became established in the film industry as a gifted writer, producer and talent manager. After meeting Be, he realized his lifelong passions were too great to ignore.

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