"Celebrate the Spring!" Interview with Alina Garcia and Yamilia Halfon, Founders of Alina Handbags

Alina handbags celebrate the concept of timeless grace by promoting styles that serve to capture the sophistication of old Hollywood luxury. Both Alina and Yamilia spent their youths admiring the charm of historical fashion icons such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. The influence of these subtle beauties is highly apparent in the classic, yet, upscale designs of Alina.

Exploring the Spring Collection with Founders Alina and Yamilia

LoveToKnow (LTK): The Alina Spring 2007 collection is just vibrant with color. It's almost tropical. Are fans seeing any Cuban inspiration within the new spring line?

Alina and Yamilia (A&Y): Our sources of inspiration for the spring ‘07 collection were our many trips to Italy, a country that we fell in love with. However, our fond memories of our childhood in a tropical island will always have an influence on us.

The Elegance and Craftsmanship

LTK: Your styles are so classic and elegant, reminiscent of Hermes in their effect. Has your love for any designers projected influence upon the creation of Alina handbags?

(A&Y):We have always loved simple elegant fashion that withstands time. We’ve been inspired by the classic styles of the ‘50’s, such as Givenchy and Balenciaga with their beautiful creations.

LTK: Most of the Alina Spring 2007 satchels and bags are crafted using some very exotic animal skins such as alligator and ostrich. How difficult is it to work with these materials as opposed to standard lamb or calfskin?

(A&Y):Working with exotic skins is extremely difficult; it is an art to create a bag using alligator or crocodile skins. Exotic skins are more delicate than lamb or calfskin. All our handbags are made by very skilled handcrafters who specialize in working with exotic skins.

A Commitment to Quality

(LTK): The multicolor Alligator Vicenza is an extraordinary piece featuring a very playful color scheme. It seems to illustrate the intersection between graceful designs and jovial twists. When designs are still in the creation phase, is there a dichotomy in the designing of styles that are both "cutting edge" and "refined"? In other words, what pains go into the process of maintaining sophistication while pushing ideas forward in the world of high fashion?

(A&Y): First and foremost we have a commitment to fine craftsmanship and we stay true to our principals of form and fashion, staying in tune with today’s woman. Even though we are a classic brand we wanted a piece that could demonstrate that an elegant handbag can be joyful too.

(LTK): The Alina Como handbag is a glorious LoveToKnow favorite. The style is trend-conscious but not excessive. What is the story behind this perfect handbag? Is the Como one of the most popular styles?

(A&Y): What inspired us to create this bag was the beautiful deep blue color of the skin, reminiscent of Lago di Como. It is indeed one of the most popular designs in this collection.

The Alina Audience

(LTK): The Alina motto seems to be "Class is Timeless". What is the vision of Alina handbags, and how does the company imagine the typical Alina handbag consumer to look, or behave…what is the age range…etc?

(A&Y): The vision of our handbags is enduring quality and long versatility. Class is not defined by age. We imagine the typical Alina consumer to have style, elegance, and sophistication and to be cross-generational. Our handbags are designed to complement its wearer sense of style whether they are wearing a pair or jeans or a classic Chanel suit.

Purchasing and Special Order Information

(LTK): Does Alina take special orders for custom designs in the event that a customer prefers a certain color or material?

(A&Y): We can accommodate special requests as long as they fall under our vision of the Alina brand and do not compromise our vision of design.

(LTK): Moreover, where can consumers purchase these sensational styles?

(A&Y): At this point our handbags can be purchased in our website, www.alinagroup.com.

Hailing the Spring

Be sure to visit the official Alina site to take in the evolution of classic posh fashion. Moreover, if you'll be traveling this summer, don't neglect Alina's spectacular line of shoulder and messenger bags that make for a perfect touring companion!