What happens when you walk away from decades of designing for other people—and finally bet on yourself?

Karen Cardoso spent 30 years behind the scenes designing handbags for household names like Jessica Simpson and Franco Sarto. But when tariffs upended her production plans, she didn’t fold—she pivoted. That moment sparked the creation of Bolsa Nova and introduced her to the magic of Italian wash leather: soft, slouchy, and totally irresistible.

In this episode of Handbag Designer 101, Karen shares:
✨ What it’s really like launching your own brand after years in corporate
🇮🇹 How discovering Italian wash leather changed her business overnight
🧵 Why she refuses to over-develop and only creates what her customer actually wants
👩‍💼 How her “ideal customer” wasn’t who she expected—and what that taught her about branding

From QVC to Nordstrom to specialty boutiques, Bolsa Nova’s slow-and-smart growth story is a lesson in staying agile, owning your instincts, and designing with purpose.

🎧 Listen now.

Our Guest: Karen Cardoso is the founder and designer behind Bolsa Nova Bags. With a background in designing for major brands like Nicole Miller and Franco Sarto, she brings decades of industry experience to her own line of buttery-soft Italian leather handbags that blend casual luxury with timeless appeal.

Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.

Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at emilyblumenthal.com.

Buy Emily’s Books: “Handbag Designer 101” & “Savvy Suzanna’s Amazing Adventures in Handbags”

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