ROMYGOLD Interview with Designers Lisa Goldstein & Romy Jagid

[All images via ROMYGOLD.com]

Close friends Lisa Goldstein and Romy Jagid started the coveted handbag line ROMYGOLD in 2009, and has since gone on to have a cult following with retailers including  Bergdorf Goodman, Intermix, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols, Neiman Marcus and shopbop.com. The line stays on the forefront of fashion while offering accessible prices of $275-$700. In an exclusive interview, Lisa and Romy answered our questions on everything from the celeb they’d love to see rocking their bags to their favorite style and blogs.

FPD: What were you doing before ROMYGOLD, and how do you divvy up and/or collaborate on the operations and design aspects of the company?

LG & RJ: Before ROMYGOLD we were just raising our families.

FPD: Since you two were good friends before starting ROMYGOLD, what do you advise as most important to balance your personal and professional relationship with good friend?

LG & RJ: We each seem to have different but complimenting business interests which naturally result in our division of responsibilities,  however we always collaborate on everything.

FPD: What was the single most important thing you learned about designing handbags?

LG & RJ: Keep with the fashion trends, come up with a design that distinguishes our product from the competition (ie biker slash). We continue to use variations of what we are known for in different designs.

FPD: Tell me more about the “slash and Slit”  designs; how is this done while maintaining  a sturdy exterior, that wont catch or rip?

LG & RJ: The biker slash is our signature design and the design made such a huge hit that it contributes to the success of ROMYGOLD. The sturdiness of the bags is not compromised by the slashes because of the leather used and its inner structure.

FPD: What is your favorite bag style (i.e clutch, hobo, messenger – doesn’t have to be ROMYGOLD style specific)?

LG & RJ: Our favorite bag style is a typically a hobo (look for our bondage hobo coming out for resort).

FPD: What are your favorite blogs?

LG & RJ: We love to stay up-to-date on Who What Wear! They always have some amazing fashion stories and great celebrity sightings. We also love Refinery29 and DailyCandy.

FPD: What icons would you love to see your bags on the shoulders or in the hands of in the future?

LG & RJ: We would get such a sense of accomplishment by Jennifer Lopez, Gwenyth Paltrow and/or Sarah Jessica Parker carrying a ROMYGOLD bag.

FPD: Now two years in, what do you hope to happen in the next five years for the brand?

LG & RJ: We hope to have lines for all seasons, expand to more accessories (belts, wallets, cuffs, etc).

-Julia DiNardo