Hometown Heroes: Charm and Luck

Sisters Jenny and Christine Syquia bring a worldly view to their stylish handbags and accessories.



Sisters are a force to be reckoned with as a rule, but when they band together in fashion? Look out, world. Case in point, Charm and Luck. Founded by Jenny and Christine Syquia, Charm and Luck's gorgeous bags are available in 25 countries and over 1700 stores – a miraculous feat for a company that just celebrated its second year of business.

After earning a degree from Boston University, Jenny landed in the fashion department of Vogue and eventually founded two successful clothing lines. Meanwhile, sister Christine – with a rich retail background – was working as a management executive at Nordstrom. When Jenny turned her attention to accessories, Christine joined her as Charm and Luck's President and Sales Director. And soon the world began to crave bags with names like Dallas Diamond and Savannah Satchel.

"I get my inspiration from places," says Jenny. "If I'm not traveling, I'm reading about traveling and where I want to go next. I read Conde Nast Traveler like it's a bible."

Travel also inspires the materials that go into the product. Christine reports that the company favors working with Italian leather. She says, "The patterns, the finishes, the cuts... it's no wonder Italy controls that industry." Having such high-end materials to work with has helped roped in worldwide fans – fans so rabid that demand has challenged the company.

"Fashion people want it yesterday," Jenny explains. "I use all custom made leathers, and those take time to produce. I also develop all my own metal molds for buckles and trims, and those take a lot of time to perfect. I'm on such a tight schedule to produce four collections per year that even before I finish one I'm starting on the next."

And they may have inadvertently given us a hint about what's in store for the next line. When asked what they would create with unlimited funds and materials, Christine waxed poetic on exotic skins. She dreamed up a camel-colored python hobo bag with alternating skins and charm bling for straps, while Jenny is partial to patent alligator skin from France.

Although they say Charm and Luck doesn't have a certain customer, they've had their fair share of celebrity fans including Jessica Simpson, Teri Hatcher, Pamela Anderson, Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson, just to name a few. While Christine notes their patronage is powerful, she's just as excited to see non-celebs carrying their bags.

Adds Jenny, "Our society has become so celebrity driven. Remember when magazines used to have models on the covers? Now it's mainly celebrities. So yes, it's very powerful – it's a symbol of pop culture."

And if Charm and Luck continues on their path, they'll be a symbol of pop culture for years to come.

Charm and Luck bags are available at fine retailers like Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's, on TV on HSN, and online at www.charmandluck.com.