Grey/Ven’s Chic Handbag Launch

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Grey/Ven is all about elevated, effortless wardrobe staples that scream (well, whisper) quiet luxury—and now there are gorgeous, high-quality handbags to match, debuting at the brand’s NYFW show. Ahead, CEO Scott Weissman dishes about these covetable carryables, plus lots of other exciting accessories categories to come, and more.

How long have Grey/Ven’s handbags been in the works?
Since becoming CEO of Grey/Ven a year ago, I’ve focused on expanding the product lines and developing into a luxury lifestyle brand. It’s just a natural progression to introduce luxury handbags; it’s the first thing I wanted to do when I took over the company.

What makes Grey/Ven’s handbags distinctive?
The materials are luxe, sourced from the best tanneries in Italy–calfskin with a great sheen, velvety suede, a beautifully grained goatskin, soft lamb Napa. All the hardware, including buckles and zipper pulls, is 24K-gold-plated brass that’s custom-tooled in Italy. The bags themselves are on par with any major handbag designer’s pieces.

Grey/Ven’s handbag (Courtesy of Grey/Ven)

Talk us through the bags debuting on the runway this week.
We created five styles—including a perfect crossbody, an evening party bag, a hobo style, a sports bag, and a tote—and are showing in a few colorways. I especially like the crossbody; it’s a sporty, active bag that you could also wear at night to dinner. They’re all classic styles with great detailing, identifiable by their look, not by logos or monograms. I think we created the perfect collection, with the perfect pricing of $495 to $1,200.

What was the R&D process like?
This wasn’t something we created overnight. We developed 16 or 17 styles total and chose five of those to launch the collection with. My mother and my sister live in Italy; through my family, I was fortunate to work with the most talented design and development teams there to identify the best styles and overall vibe. Something may look great on paper, but when you try to make it work and see a prototype, it’s not going to always work. It’s about trial and error, and getting other peoples’ opinions. We spoke to stylists we work with and the girls in my life for feedback during the design process, and they’re just going crazy over these bags.

How do you plan to expand the brand next?
I think handbags are going to be a big catalyst for our company to introduce new products; belts are our next major expansion.

Beyond bags and belts, any other accessories Grey/Ven might dabble in?
We’ve been sampling some shoes, too, working with shoemakers, so we can soon have our own complete look on the runway from head to toe. By next fall, the goal is that we’ll have a full line of shoes.

What’s on tap Out East this summer?
We’re introducing our men’s collection exclusively at the East Hampton store. It’s chic and classic; quiet luxury at its best. We’re also renovating the store. Last year we opened as a pop-up to test the market. Now, we’re making a commitment to stay long-term in the Hamptons and will be making upgrades to the space.

Anything else in the pipeline?
We’re doing a pop-up in Tokyo, probably in March, with Mister George, a street artist from Miami and a good friend of mine. Artist collaborations always excite me. During Miami Art Week, Mister George painted some of our monochromatic black vegan leather pieces. I’m an avid supporter of the arts in general, so in the summer we’ll definitely be back at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair. Last summer, we hosted a booth to showcase five emerging artists’ work. We also have an upcoming collab with photographer Filbert Kung, who we’ve worked with the past few years. We continue our initiatives to help young artists, whether collaborating directly on clothing drops or showing their work at our events.

Scott Weissman and Mister George (Courtesy of Grey/Ven)

How’s your NYC pop-up at The Huntress store been going?
It’s been an amazing experience, to introduce the clothing to the press, celebrities, private shoppers, and The Huntress’s community, and a good way people can get to know the brand, try it on, feel it, and understand that our quality is on par with major designers charging three to five times as much. Any retail plans on the horizon? We’ll be opening a permanent location in New York, either in Soho, maybe on Mercer Street, or the West Village, like Bleecker Street. We’re looking at some locations; nothing is set in stone, but we’ll definitely have a permanent space by April or May.

Where else might you set up shop next?
We’re looking for a permanent location in Miami, too; it’s definitely a hub for travel, and we’ve had a good response from the Latin American market through e-commerce sales.

Are international retail locations on your radar as well?
We’ve tested a lot of marketing toward Latin America and it seems to be working well, so we want to expand into Latin America with retail shops by next year. The plan is, this year, New York City and Miami; next year, we’ll open a store in South America, and one in the Middle East—the luxury market’s thriving in Qatar.

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