Kooba

Kooba is a brand of contemporary handbags designed and owned by New York designer Abby Held.

History

The brand was launched in 1998 by the mother-daughter team of Bonnie and Abbe Held. Lynn Pincus joined them in 2000.[1]

In 2007, private equity firm Swander Pace Capital made an undisclosed investment in the company and is now the majority stakeholder.[2]

Products

The bags are often crafted from leather. Bags are often named after celebrities and other notable figures. One of the brand's best selling bags is the Sienna, named for actress Sienna Miller.[3]

Bags range in price from $200 to $700[4] and are sold through high-end retailers such as Barneys New York, Henri Bendel, and Neiman Marcus.[3]

In 2007, Kooba launched a collection of contemporary fall tops.[5] The brand also sells jackets and outerwear.

Because of the popularity of the Kooba brand and the high prices attached to their products, there is a significant amount of counterfeit merchandise produced and sold, some of which ends up on online retail and auction websites such as eBay.[6]

Celebrities who are known to own a Kooba handbag include actresses Jennifer Aniston, Sienna Miller and Kristen Bell, as well as singer Avril Lavigne.[7]

Kooba bags appear on a number of television shows on the Bravo network including "The Fashion Show" and "NYC Prep." Kooba designed exclusive colors for its bags, and the cast members got to pick their favorite. The bags were sold on Bravo's website.[8]

References
  1. "Eye Catchers", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 27, 2004
  2. Young, Vicki (October 18, 2007), "KOOBA PARTNERS WITH PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM.", Women's Wear Daily
  3. Tan, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan (March 11, 2006), "A Rally in Mid-Cap Purses", Wall Street Journal
  4. Mills, James Edward (December 5, 2008), "Allure Promises the Next Big Thing in Fashion", The Wisconsin State Journal
  5. Greenberg, Julee (February 1, 2007), "Kooba Brand Adds Apparel to Handbags", Women's Wear Daily
  6. Kaul, Shirpa (April 6, 2009), "Simple Tips on Avoiding the Fake Kooba Handbags", Best Syndication
  7. Wuff, June (March 26, 2008), "Barneys Bag", The Boston Globe
  8. Clifford, Stephanie (April 13, 2009), "Bravo Shows Move Further Into Licensing Products", The New York Times
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