Born in Northern California, Loretta Gradek grew up knowing she was an artist. She began sewing at the age of 9, sewing her own clothes in high school and developed her passion at Santa Rosa Junior College by studying Art and Fashion Design. What followed was a 30-year journey in textiles and design. Loretta’s skills encompass both design and product development, a rare combination that has given her a keen eye for elegance and quality. As a result, her creations are as well made as they are beautiful.
The success of Loretta’s career in textile design and product development has been recognized at numerous trade shows and through guest speaker invitations to notable fashion institutions and organizations. Recently she began designing and crafting leather handbags. Each design reflects her attention to beauty and art. Loretta only uses the finest materials to create a piece of art that is timeless with a unique and contemporary twist. Each piece is crafted with care and precision in her studio in Austin, Texas.
Loretta embraces the duality of elegance and modernity in her creations and hopes you find a handbag you will cherish as a piece of art.
If the bag is in stock, I will ship it to you within a couple days. If it is not in stock, then it will take me 3-4 weeks to make as they are one of a kind and made by hand in my shop.
I’m happy to make you a custom bag! Simply pick the one you’d like to customize, and we can discuss leather and linings. Please note the 3- 4 week time period it takes to make the bag.
These bags are one of a kind, meaning I only have enough material for the one bag. If you see a bag you like, I can replicate it with different materials. I am happy to send you leather samples before you decide on customization.
If you’re not happy, then I’m not happy. You have 30 days to return the bag for a full refund, so long as you pay for return shipping. If within the first thirty days, something needs to be mended, you can send it back and I will fix it for you at no charge.
Apply a cleaner specially made for leather!
●Moisturize your bag with a leather conditioner to keep it supple.
●Do not use a conditioner on patent leather purses.
●Remove stains as soon as you notice them.
●Organic stains from food or blood can often be removed with chalk powder. Crush white chalk, let it sit on the stain overnight and dust it off with a clean cloth. Sometimes, a clean pink eraser can remove small spots from leather totes.
●Stuff your unused bag with white tissue paper to restore and hold its shape, and store the dust bag provided.
●Clean suede bags with a suede brush.
As with most natural materials, the leather on your handbag is special. Slight discoloration or change in texture is not only natural, but one of the material’s distinctive qualities. These minor inconsistencies are not defects, but rather markers of uniquely crafted bag. Before I make your bag, I examine each hide thoroughly to make sure you are receiving a piece of high quality, beautiful leather.