Fashion For The Resilient

Canadian handbag designs, made by a lifetime craftsperson with international exposure

WEAVING HER TAPESTRY OF LIFE

Our founder, Cecilia Cho grew up in a handbag manufacturing family in south Korea.  As head of the company, her father designed, produced and promoted quality leather luggage and bags for his own company as well as for multinational brand-name companies. 

 

At an early age Cecilia spent some of her holiday time in the leather factory, learning the foundational requirements of quality production as she worked alongside her family’s team of skilled craftsmen.

 

Some years later her dad took her along to an international luggage and handbag tradeshow. There she witnessed the full power of design sketches as evidenced in the multitude of beautiful bags that would determine the next fashion trend. 

 

She was thrilled. She was inspired. She now knew what direction her career would follow.  

 

Cecilia’s knowledge of handbag manufacturing expanded with time and with her exposure to the process of transforming a sketch into an art form.

 

She eventually studied Fine Art at one of North America’s widely acclaimed creative institutes, Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, B.C.

 

Strong-willed products made from a resilient heart

Why are Anscel handbags made to look better through wear and tear?  

It all started when, sadly, tragedy hit. In late 2017, Cecilia lost her loving husband in a car accident. This left her a young widow with three children to raise, alone. Her hard-working, life-partner had been the backbone and breadwinner of the family. So, it was a hard adjustment. 

 

But, even while devastated, Cecilia forced herself to rise up, be strong, and take charge of her family’s destiny. She formed a resilient heart out of a broken one.

 

In turn, her fashion designs could be only that: resilient and malleable in every way. From weather damage, from fading, from going out of style and from being impractical to use in ‘real life’ circumstances. 

 

They also needed to take a strong stand against the meaningless worth of personal ‘image’ which, she learned, counts for nothing in the face of what’s important in life.

 

Every bit of resiliency shines through Cecilia’s handbag designs, which she draws, plans and approves for production herself. These are no flimsy mockups for quick-win sales. Cecilia only stands for the best - sometimes returning to the drawing board many times to make changes, until her vision is perfect.

 

When you buy an Anscel handbag, you’re buying durability, from someone who knows what that means, in a deep way.