FASHION
St . Louisan Marjorie Handelman Shares Fashion Journey
A
St . Louisan at heart , Marjorie Handelman is leaving her footprint on the fashion industry as president of New York-based Alexandra Clancy . The luxury accessories brand is known for its minimal statement pieces loved by the modern woman .
Gazelle : Where did you go to high school ? Handelman : The famous St Louis question ! I went to Parkway Central .
Gazelle : What are three things you miss most about living in St . Louis ? Handelman : The child in me really misses gooey butter cake . I didn ’ t realize that this was a St Louis specialty until after I left , but that sweet taste of buttery sugar and eggs will always take me back to my childhood . There ’ s a place in New York called Momofuku Milk Barand , where they make something similar , but it ’ s not the same . It ’ s also $ 50 .
I miss the ease of driving everywhere with minimal traffic . One of the things that is amazing about St Louis is that no matter where you are , you ’ re no more than 20 minutes from where you need to be . That sense of convenience is really underestimated , especially when living in a big city that can take nearly 30 minutes ( sometimes even more ) just to cross town in a cab .
When friends ask me about where I grew up , one of the first things I always mention is how green and beautiful St Louis is . It ’ s so nice being able to look out your window and see trees , birds and flowers , without having to jump on a subway to the nearest park . And of course , I miss my family , and it ’ s because of them that I get to come back and visit .
Although I ’ ve been in New York long enough to be considered a local , St Louis will always hold a special place in my heart . I ’ m proud of where I come from . St Louis has given me my roots and helped shape me into the person I am today . People from St Louis are often considered to be some of the most genuine , honest and charitable people around , and I ’ m fortunate to have these traits at my core , as they ’ ve helped me stay grounded .
Gazelle : How did your career in the fashion industry get started ? Handelman : I always knew I wanted to work in fashion , and heard through a family friend about the executive training program at Macy ’ s East . After college graduation , I interviewed for a spot in the program , and by August , I was driving a U-Haul from St Louis to New York with all my belongings . I stayed at Macy ’ s East for almost two years , working my way up to an associate buyer position , before an opportunity presented itself at one of my favorite fashion houses : Yves Saint Laurent . Those first roles were great stepping stones for me in my career as I moved on to more senior operations and sales positions at Prada , David Yurman and Net-A-Porter ( to name a few ).
Gazelle : What inspired you to move from St . Louis to New York ? Handelman : When pursuing a career in fashion , there ’ s really no place better than New York . I think I always knew I would head to a bigger city after college graduation , I just didn ’ t know how long I would stay .
New York can either send someone running for the hills or make them never want to leave . I find myself somewhere in the middle . To me , it ’ s important and healthy to escape this fast-paced and competitive environment from time to time , even if just for a weekend .
The thing that no one tells you is that the longer you live in New York , the more you miss it when you ’ re away . This city really becomes a part of you !
Gazelle : What do you love most about your role at Alexandra Clancy ? Handelman : I love that I am in a position that allows me to use my entrepreneurial spirit and the culmination of all my past experiences in the industry . Whether it ’ s working on the design plan for the upcoming season , directing photoshoots , managing our Italian production or checking in with our retail partners , every day is different and equally crazy , but it ’ s what I love and what keeps me going .
I also love how closely I work with Alexandra and our small team . Each of our employees has big shoes to fill and lots of hats to wear , but we keep the environment team-focused , and we all work together like a family . Although I have an office , you ’ ll rarely catch me there . I ’ m usually at our showroom table , with everyone around and buzzing about .
Gazelle : What makes the Alexandra Clancy bag different from other luxury purses ? Handelman : We source the most luxurious materials like handpainted exotics and buttery-soft nappa leathers , but apply them to clean , minimalist shapes . Our materials and treatments are very rich and opulent , while the mood remains cool and casual .
Our newest collection for summer 2018 takes a step in a more playful direction , largely inspired by New York street art . An exciting collaboration with a local graffiti artist resulted in an original screenprint that can be seen across several styles . Working with a palette
18 GAZELLE