The Tamesis
New York success stories are always worth celebrating. A few years ago, accessories designer Amy Zurek was living in Tribeca and sowing the seeds of what would one day become a Savette. On Wednesday night, she was back in the neighborhood, taking over one of her favorite haunts, Walker’s, to toast five years in business.
“It’s our version of a pub night,” she told Fashionsurrounded by dozens of cascading strings of silver balloons. The evening certainly had the healthy summer energy of an urban rom-com, with well-dressed brand friends in midi skirts and tiny heels, stopping by for a martini and chips after get off work or on the way to dinner downtown. Guests walked into the photo booth in pairs, giggling, doodling on tablecloths with crayons and trying scratch cards in hopes of winning a Pochette bag – the pair fashion magazine Maddy Fass and stylist Solange Franklin are lucky.
Predating the era of quiet luxury and logo-free accessories that have become popular in recent years, Savette’s flagship Pochette range is ubiquitous in bars and distinguished by its refreshing minimalism and oval closure that has become synonymous with it today. Model Jacquelyn Jablonski debuted her baby bump in light pink and paired it with a teal shoulder bag. Others feature new trapezoidal updates, or iterations in suede, leather, or exotic leathers.
Zurek has worked as a designer for brands such as The Row, Khaite and Coach, and her bag blueprints are always clear. In addition to ethically produced in small batches and responsibly sourced leather, she admits that she is single-minded about how her products look and function, and she’s not willing to take any shortcuts. “I’ve been thinking about lines and how the lock needs to be simple but really strong,” she explains, showing how the handle can easily contract and expand to adapt from bag to clutch. “I’m such a nerd when I talk about it!” After much back and forth—and plenty of photos to explain and work around the language barrier—she eventually found her partners at the Third Generation Running Studio in Florence, where the line is still produced today.
For Zurek, one of the highlights of the past five years has been working with retailers who have always focused on her vision and seeing her designs on the shelves. Next, she’s exploring what her own physical contact points will look like. Meanwhile, her first showroom will open this summer—and she’s no doubt ready to welcome other handbag lovers to hang out.
