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Happy Friday! Don't forget, my giveaway for $50 to Sydney's Vintage Clothing ends tomorrow so be sure to get your entries in! Today's Friday Fashionista is a woman whose creative influence is still felt today in the fashion industry. She created the must-have handbag of the 60's and 70's. Introducing Enid Collins! 




The Lady
Enid Roessler was raised in San Antonio, Texas. She majored in fashion design at the Womens University and was heavily influenced by local southwestern motifs.  She married Fred Collins, a sculptor.

"When World War II came to an end, Fred and Enid Collins moved to Medina, TX with every intention of becoming ranchers. To the benefit of all who appreciate great style and artistry, the ranching business proved a struggle, and the couple turned to their artistic talents for their livelihood. The team began producing leather handbags with hand sculpted brass ornaments"
- from enidlifestyle.com

         The Legend
From 1959 to 1970, Enid Collins created embellished handbags of all sorts. Her most popular designs include the wooden box purse, canvas tote and bucket tote. All of her handbags were embellished by her, using paint and glass jewels. After Neiman Marcus began featuring the bags in their stores, Collins of Texas became the must-have handbag.


 In 1970, Collins of Texas and all of the copyright designs were sold to the Tandy Corporation. Tandy and other companies made kits to embellish your own Enid-style handbag. I've spotted a few such kits in my antique mall adventures. Here are a few examples of Enid's bucket bags:




Get the Look
Enid Collins bags are highly collectable today but can still be found in a fair price range for the girl who wants to wear the bags. I found an original Enid box bag in an antique shop, missing a few stones for $4! Websites such as etsy and ebay are never short on supply of beautiful handbags by Collins of Texas. There are some adorable Enid bags on ebay today for under $50. These are a few of her box bags:


"owl and pussycat" from MissCrocker

"Carriage Trade" on ebay
 You can often find a great deal on Enid bags if they are missing a few stones or metal embellishments. There was once an ebay store that sold Enid Collins repair parts but sadly, they ran out of stock and shut down. There are several etsy shops that sell flat-back glass cabs that are suitable for repair parts. Occasionally, you can find them on ebay as well.

 How to Tell if it's an Enid Original
many designers created Enid-style knock-offs, which are often as cute as the originals. Authentic Collins of Texas handbags will have:
"EC" on the right corner of the bag, or "Collins of Texas" on her later designs. Enid box purses will have a mirror inside (or spot where a mirror once was) and leather and brass findings.