Karen Feder

An Eclectic Grab Bag

What do you get when you use materials like glitter, colored industrial plastics, afghan furs, wood grain, and ribbed vinyl handles? You get some of the most whimsical hand bags on the market today produced by FIDM Fashion Design graduate Karan Feder.

The handbags are a new venture for Karan, who manufactured a children's rainwear line for a year-and-a-half, using some of the same brightly-colored industrial plastics. Karan designed matching sets of hats, jackets and bags. The decision to discontinue the children's line came after Karan noticed women were buying the emsembles for their children and keeping the bags for themselves.

Karan says she uses fun materials such as imitation gorilla and poodle fur because it gives the bags texture and movement. Part of the challenge for Karan is to take industrial materials and turn them into fashion. Karan wanted to produce a funky, designer line that teens and streetwear customers could afford. She has succeeded with a line that wholesales for $5 to $16. The unique handbags are highly sought after and have been sold to such notable retail outlets as Fred Segal, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. You can view her complete line by logging on to www.karanfeder.com.

Karan attended the University of Wisconson-Madison, where she studied design. She completed her design education at FIDM where she graduated from the 3rd year Professional Designation Program in fashion design. Using skills learned from each and every class she took at FIDM, from the first year until she graduated, Karan was able to form a well-rounded view of what it takes to be successful in the fashion industry.

Karan is an active alumni and has come back to talk to FIDM students during FIDM's alumni reunions. She always gives the same advice to up-and-coming designers. "Start making your contacts while you're in school. Even though you're a first year student, it's not too early to start making phone calls and talking to people in the industry." She says you can get valuable information from a two-minute meeting with someone that has been through the processes of becoming a designer. From the first day at school, start planning your path after graduation. Karan's future plans are to continue to come up with new and innovative fashion statements.