The Eleventh Independent Handbag Designer Awards

The AHQ Best Student Made Handbag (handbag featured in back)

McCall Morrow, MM Accessories

The Cutting Edge Bag by Nasty Gal (handbag featured in front)

Amy Steele, Amy Steele

On Wednesday, June 14th, Handbag Designer 101 congratulated this year's winners at the Eleventh Independent Handbag Designer Awards at the SVA Theater. 

Karen Giberson, President of the Accessories Council, presented the 2017 Carlos Falchi IDHA ICONOCLAST Award to Deux Lux.

Congratulations to all the winners in ten distinct categories, including Christopher Belt, who took home three awards: The BERNINA Best Handmade Handbag, The Perfect Everyday Work Tote by Aimee Kestenberg, and Best Retail Bag presented by Neiman Marcus. 

Check out this year's winning bags below.

The BERNINA Best Handmade Handbag

Christopher Belt, Christopher Belt

The Best Retail Bag Presented by Neiman Marcus

Christopher Belt, Christopher Belt

The Perfect Everyday Work Tote by Aimee Kestenberg (not shown)

Christopher Belt, Christopher Belt

The BASIC ADHESIVES Best Green Handbag

Jamie Bolton-Debbage & Lucy Housmann
Wilby Clutch

The Trickle Up Most Socially Responsible Handbag

Gabriela Lopez

Me Accessories

The Best Fujifilm Instax Camera Bag

Becky Moy, Becvoy

The Young and Adventurous Lifestyle Backpack by Guess Handbags

Anna Hegeman, Van Der Borne

The UBM Best Handbag in Overall Style and Design

Elena Longhi, Ninael

The Audience Fan Favorite (not shown)

Shivani Suhag, Avocadoe

- Kim Weling

The Tenth Independent Handbag Designer Awards

THE BERNINA BEST HANDMADE HANDBAG

Angela Olson, Angela Valentine Handbags, USA

On Wednesday, June 15th, Handbag Designer 101 revealed the winners of the Tenth Annual Indepentdent Handbag Awards (IHDA) at the SVA Theater at 333 West 23rd Street in NYC. Hosted by founder Emily Blumenthal, over 400 industry insiders, designers, and celebrity supporters celebrated this year's picks in handbag design. 

Julie Wilson, Digital Fashion and Beauty Director of Essence magazine, presented the ICONOCLAST Award for Lifetime Achievement in Handbag Design to MZ Wallace. 

Congratulations to all the winners ten distinct categories, from a pool of 1.500 submissions collected globally. 

THE LUG LIFE BEST STUDENT MADE HANDBAG

Carolina Kuhnen Ecco, Carolina Ecco, Nottingham Trent University, Brazil

THE BASIC ADHESIVES BEST GREEN HANDBAG

Hanna Varner, HR Deneau, USA

THE FASHION 4 DEVELOPMENT

MOST SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE HANDBAG

Jacqueline Suriano, Jacqueline Suriano, El Salvador, Made in El Salvador

THE MARY KAY WEAR WITH CONFIDENCE BAG

Zhe Liu, ZHE, China

THE TRINA TURK BEST RESORT BAG

Cathleen Nicol, C. Nicol, UK

ALL ABOUT THE LOGO BY GUESS HANDBAGS

Adrian Furstenburg, Adrian Furstenburg, South Africa

THE PANTONE WILD COLOR CARD BAG

Stacy Chan, Stacy Chan, UK

THE EVINE LIVE BEST HANDBAG IN OVERALL STYLE AND DESIGN

Tiffany Wu & Lynn Lu, Heirloom Handbags, USA

THE INSTYLE.COM AUDIENCE FAN FAVORITE

Yanique Moore, Ollie Quinn, USA

This winning bag will be featured in the September issue of InStyle magazine

- Kim Weling

2016 Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America

Alex Grunert

Brooklyn Fare Manhattan, NY, NY

Chocolate - Vanilla Truffle, White Soy Caramel 

with Caramelized Cacao Nibs and Brown Butter

On Monday, June 6th, ten of the finest pastry chefs in America were honored at the 23rd annual Dessert Professional Magazine Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America at Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City. 

The event was presented by Guittard Chocolate, KitchenAid, Beurremont, Prova Gourmet, agrimontana. Pastry 1, and Sasa-Demarle. The Great Purple Cupcake Project is the benefiting charity of the 2016 Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America event. 

The 2016 winners will be featured in the August/September 2016 issue of Dessert Professional Magazine. Guests sampled the decadent desserts prepared by the top ten pastry chefs:

Cedric Barberet - Bistro Barberet, Lancaster, PA

Morand Dare - New York Hilton Midtown, NY, NY

Joseph DiPaolo Jr. - Pinnacle Foods, Parsippany, NJ

Kelly Fields - Besh Restaurant Group & Co-Owner Willa Jean, New Orleans, LA

Scott Green - The Langham Hotel, Chicago, IL

Alex Grunert - Brooklyn Fare Manhattan, NY, NY

Lauren V. Haas - Int'l Institute of Baking and Pastry Arts, Johnson & Wales University, 

Providence, RI

Frank Iglesias - Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT

Robert Nieto - Kendall-Jackson Winery, Santa Rosa, CA

Jean-Marc Viallet - Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA

2016 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

Biagio Settepani - Pasticceria Bruno, Staten Island, NY

Frank Iglesias

Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT

Strawberry Rhubarb Push Pop, Spring Globe, Irish Cream Pop Rocks Choux, 

Hazelnut Banana Yuzu Cream

Lauren V. Haas

Int'l Institute of Baking and Pastry Arts, Johnson & Wales University, 

Providence, RI

Kumquat and Yogurt-Cassis 

  

Bergamot, Coconut, Lime and Milk Chocolate

Milk Chocolate

Kelly Fields

Besh Restaurant Group & Co-Owner Willa Jean, New Orleans, LA

Cornbread Pudding Bourbon Blackberry Peaches and Buttermilk Sherbet

Morand Dare

New York Hilton Midtown, NY, NY

Strawberry Blossom - Strawberry Yuzu & Green Tea

Robert Nieto

Kendall-Jackson Winery, Santa Rosa, CA

Blueberry Mousse with mango Passion Fruit Sorbet 

with Dehydrated Dulcey Mousse Verjus Gel and Jasmine Cream

Joseph DiPaolo Jr.

Pinnacle Foods, Parsippany, NJ

Duncan Hines Brownie Peanut Butter Delight, Raspberry Sour Cherry Marmalade

Cedric Barberet

Bistro Barberet, Lancaster, PA

BLACK. Flourless Chocolate Cake, Blackberry Tea, Dark Chocolate Mousse, 

Gianduja Violet Center and Blackberry Macaron

Jean-Marc Viallet

Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA

Disneyland 60th Anniversary Hat

- Kim Weling

22nd Annual Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America

Flourless chocolate cake, peanut butter mousse and caramel cake

On June 1, 2015,  Dessert Professional magazine honored the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America for 2015 at La. Venue at 608 West 28th Street.  Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America was presented by Guittard Chocolate, KitchenAid, Beurremont, and Nielsen-Massey.  The awards event recognizes the top toques of tuile, cocoa, and sugar for their talent and unique culinary vision, with the 2015 winners featured in the upcoming August issue of Dessert Professional. 

Attendees indulged in an evening of desserts created by the 2015 Top Ten honorees:

LISA BAILEY - D Bar, Denver, CO & San Diego, CA

MICHELLE GAYER - Salty Tart, Minneapolis, MN

JIMMY LECLERC - Laduree USA

SALVATORE MARTONE - Atelier Joel Robuchon, Las Vegas, NV

MAURA METHENY - Norman Love Confections, Ft. Myers, FL

THOMAS RAQUEL - Le Bernardin, New York, NY

THIAGO SILVA - EMM Group

MIROSLAV USKOKOVIC - Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY

WILLIAM WERNER - Craftsman & Wolves, San Francisco, CA

ZAC YOUNG - David Burke Group

2015 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

Sebastien Cannone, M.O.F

Co-Founder

The French Pastry School, Chicago, IL

MAURA METHENY - Norman Love Confections, Ft. Myers, FL

Black forest cherry cake in a white chocolate mushroom

SALVATORE MARTONE - Atelier Joel Robuchon, Las Vegas, NV

WILLIAM WERNER - Craftsman & Wolves, San Francisco, CA

Blueberry, hazelnut and earl grey

Coffee, yuzu, and coconut

ZAC YOUNG - David Burke Group

Maple bourbon glazed doughnut with candied bacon

THOMAS RAQUEL - Le Bernardin, New York, NY

Strawberry crumble made with liquid nitrogen

THIAGO SILVA - EMM Group

Passion fruit chocolate mousse in a chocolate shell

JIMMY LECLERC - Laduree USA

LISA BAILEY - D Bar, Denver, CO & San Diego, CA

Peaches and cream buttermilk panna cotta 

with honey rosemary pecan crumble

Pink Serbians with strawberry milk and strawberry liquor

MIROSLAV USKOKOVIC - Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY

- Kim Weling