Jamie Haller, the California-based designer known for modern and understated luxury shoes, is introducing a new category for her namesake label: handbags.

After debuting in 2020 with footwear handmade in Italy — with her signatures utilizing buffalo leather, like the $595 penny loafer — Haller has grown to expand with ready-to-wear, open her first store in Montecito in May, and is unveiling two handbag designs.

“As I was continually sourcing and playing and experimenting in shoes and meeting amazing people in Italy, meeting with tanneries, I would always pull a skin and would think, ‘Oh my god, this would make such an amazing bag,’” said Haller. Like her shoes, the bags are made in an atelier in Tuscany.  

The result is a medium-sized shoulder bag made from the same Italian buffalo leather in oxblood, the Ring tote, and a two-toned elongated purse, the Document clutch. They’ll be available in mid-October, according to Haller, with more styles on the way (and prices forthcoming). “There’s one or two more bags that we’re definitely continuing to move toward the final approval on over the course of probably the next year.”

She designs for herself, she said. “I really believe that the core customer really reflects myself,” though she notes her shopper is between 30 and 70 years old. “Probably my largest customer base is 40 to 60.”

Launching first online at shop-jamiehaller.com, wholesale partners currently include Saks Fifth Avenue, Goop and Mohawk General Store.

She added, “You can definitely get to know your customer, but the truest way for me to really deliver something that’s authentic, that I can stand behind, is to make it for myself and to love it.”

About 80 percent of her rtw production comes from Los Angeles, Haller said, though some knits are made in China and outerwear in Italy, along with the accessories. Most of her fabrics, trimmings and buttons are sourced from Italy and Japan. As a result, she’s been impacted by tariffs, which have disrupted the momentum her brand had been experiencing, she said.

“The tariff situation is really difficult, and it’s very stressful,” she explained. “It’s impossible to plan for the future. I’ve had to raise prices slightly, but there are so many moving parts.…What’s happening with the EU is always front of mind for me. There were reciprocal tariffs added on top, raising the tariffs from 10 to 25 percent as a base increase on my regular costs. Costs around the world are going up on their own just due to factors economically within Italy, for example. So, my costs go up even as my units go up, and the tariffs go up, and the dollar is weakened, and all of those factors really are difficult to navigate.”

The May-to-July period was particularly hard she said, “There was a lot of impulsive decisions being made. I definitely experienced financial loss due to tariffs.”

Being cautious amid the uncertainty, Haller placed smaller orders, trying to avoid overcommitting in a volatile market. “But what happens is that I sell out in hours everything that goes on my website, or a lot of the things, and it’s a disservice to my customers and to my business. I made that choice, but I did it out of the state of the economy.”

Despite the challenges, the brand has continued to grow, and she remains hopeful: “I’m really positive about the future, and we’ve seen a lot of growth in the last six months, and a lot in holidays. So I’m very optimistic about spring.”