By Erin Hansen

Handbag designer Danielle Nicole DiFerdinando’s passion for design began at a very young age and found her concentrating on designing custom neckties before making the transition into handbags.

This passion propelled Danielle into the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and then to Europe, where she fell under the spell of design houses like Fendi, Hermes, Prada, YSL, and Armani (who wouldn’t!). Knowing her future lay in design, she secured apprenticeships at prestigious companies including Gucci, Anthony Luciano, and Berdorf Goodman’s.

In 2006, Danielle proudly launched Danielle Nicole Handbags, and the next summer the cosmetics buyer at Bergdorf’s asked her to design a line of luxury cosmetic bags. Soon, the store’s handbag buyers noticed the success of the cosmetic bag line and asked Danielle to design a collection. She did, and orders flooded in from Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and many other stores all over the world.

Characterized by Italian lambskin, crushed patent and metallic pebbled leather, Danielle’s handbags are a fresh twist on classic styles.

To check out the entire Danielle Nicole collection and to do some on-line shopping (Danielle’s bags are also available locally at CUSP Chestnut Hill and Saks Fifth Avenue), head to www.danielle-nicole.com.