Brandon Blackwood Is Redefining Classic Handbags

May 2024 · 6 minute read

Hermès Birkin. Chanel 2.55. Louis Vuitton Speedy. These classic handbags all boast a lineage dating back decades. They’re so coveted, in fact, that it can be difficult to untangle the hand-stitched threads of history, luxury, and exclusivity to figure out why, exactly.

Brandon Blackwood, a Black designer who can’t keep his handbags, shoes, or swimwear in stock, has some thoughts on the matter. “When I think of classic, I think of heritage luxury brands,” he says, “I love the Chanels and the Fendis of the world. But the world is always evolving and changing.”

Blackwood knows a thing or two about evolution and change. He attended Bard College on a science scholarship, graduating with a double major in neuroscience and fashion. The topic of his senior thesis? Diane von Furstenberg's classic wrap dress. His namesake brand launched in 2015, built on blood, sweat, and trunk shows. 

“A lot of people just didn't take it seriously and kind of brushed me off,” he says of the early days, when he would walk instead of taking the subway because the price of a single ride would overwhelm his budget. Nevertheless, he persisted. “Once I built my customer base, I couldn't necessarily be ignored anymore.” Fast forward to today: His bags consistently sell out, and none other than Beyoncé has performed in head-to-toe BB NYC. 

Courtesy of Brandon Blackwood; Design by Amanda Lauro

To Blackwood, to be classic has nothing to do with age, but rather, a feeling. “Classic is New York City. It’s standing on a cobblestone road and seeing a building that was just built a year ago.” 

The designer’s M.O. is modern luxury, but without an eye-popping price tag. “Luxury has become a bit more accessible than in the past,” Blackwood says, citing social media as a major player in the shift. “People are looking for other ways to express they have good taste besides the same [handful of] brands.”

You’ll definitely stand out with a Brandon Blackwood bag over your shoulder. And although they look luxurious and feature classic lines, Blackwood isn’t sure his bags fall into either category. “We don't classify ourselves as a classic or a heritage brand or even luxury. We definitely play with a lot of familiar silhouettes, but we always put a little twist on it.” 

That twist might be a checkerboard pattern on a vintage-inspired trunk bag, a vibrant metallic finish, or pastel pink on a mini tote. And although you can buy a Brandon Blackwood bag in a quiet neutral — the line is not without its blacks, browns, and nude offerings — what you won’t find are price tags in the four-digit range.

Courtesy of Brandon Blackwood; Design by Amanda Lauro

“People have been so conditioned to buy something that costs maybe $150 to make for $1500, but we don't play that game,” he explains, adding that customers are often “shocked” at the brand’s price point. “I always say, ‘Do you know how much that other thousand-dollar bag actually costs? They probably cost the same [to produce].”

Still, despite the relative affordability, receiving a Brandon Blackwood bag feels luxurious. Each purse arrives tucked away in a dust bag and includes a signed notecard, printed on thick card stock. Just don’t call it “quiet luxury.” 

“I love The Row. I love Jil Sander. But the idea of quiet luxury has shifted from an aesthetic to a trend. Now, it’s just a way of showing wealth,” he posits, adding, “I think it’s silly to dress so that other people know you have money.” Instead, the designer suggests buying “what you gravitate towards, and what makes you feel special.” 

Blackwood’s special accessories are inspired by the cultural touchstones he experienced growing up in N.Y.C., as well as his community of devoted shoppers — though he thinks of them as family. “I call them cousins. I honestly hate the word customer,” he says. 

Actual family has served as inspo, too. “My aunts were all wearing the big bamboo door knockers, the bamboo belts, everything had to be bamboo and gold,” he says of the idea behind his first bamboo collection. “It's half nostalgia, half a shout out to the culture.” Blackwood says that “people got right away” what he was going for. “I thought I would have to explain the inspiration, but once I posted it, people were referring to their aunties and their moms and everybody back in the ‘90s. It was a nod to nostalgia, especially Black nostalgia, and made me feel so proud.”

Also informing Blackwood’s designs is an intense love for and knowledge of vintage handbags, going back a century or more. Get him going, and he’ll tell you all about the styles of each decade, from the 1920s to the early aughts.

Courtesy of Brandon Blackwood; Design by Amanda Lauro

Peek at his latest collection and you can see these eras brought to life with modern twists — some subtle and some more daring. “I’m always drawing inspiration from really old silhouettes, how they're worn, what they're used for, and trying to implement that and remix those worlds into a more modern day approach,” Blackwood says of his process. Once he’s settled on a silhouette, Blackwood will ask himself one very important question: “What's the remix for this bag?" Whether it’s through a colorway, hardware, or fringe, Blackwood views his remixes as a way to express each of his designs “in its ultimate form.”

Expression is at the heart of Blackwood’s designs, as shown through the End Systemic Racism, or ESR totes. In 2020, as police brutality spurred protests across the country, Blackwood, like so many others, wanted to do something. “I came up with the ESR logo, and for the bag style asked myself, ‘what is the simplest, easiest, most wearable shape?’ No one complains about a classic tote. And we made it mini.” 

The bag was designed to make a statement, loud and clear. “I wanted the message to be very stern and upfront, but I wanted the carrier of it, the bag itself, to have that juxtaposition,” Blackwood explains. “It's small enough that you can bring it everywhere with you, and the size and shape allowed it to enter way more spaces than, say, a large duffle. It was the perfect trojan horse,” he reveals. Almost four years later, and it’s still hard to nab certain ESR tote finishes before they sell out.

His bags continue to sell out and have legions of loyal fans, but Blackwood still struggles with feelings of inadequacy. It’s a familiar feeling for artists in general, but particularly cutting for Black artists in historically white spaces. 

“To this day, I have the worst imposter syndrome,” he admits. “Black people have been told for a very long time to just be grateful for whatever people outside of our Blackness have thrown our way. I think it still follows me to this day. I try to shake it off and be aware of that feeling,” he shares. 

When it feels unconquerable, Blackwood returns to his devoted fans to see the joy his brand is bringing. “I don't know if you can ever truly have one word that encompasses all of what they do for you,” Blackwood says of his “cousins.” “They're like that family that supports you. They might not be around you all the time and you might not know everybody, but they'll always have your back. I feel that from them. And they feel that when they have the product from me.”

As for what it means to be “classic,” Blackwood sums it up simply: “We reframe it by literally just existing.”

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