Amalier is a portmanteau of the Korean word for maybe 'Ama' and the French word for workshop 'Atelier'.
Because every design starts with the idea of just maybe.
OUR STORY
Hi, I'm Mia. The founder, creative director, and one-woman team behind Amalier.
Amalier is a new, luxe leather goods brand based in New York and handcrafted in South Korea. We've been on a year-long journey to create something special, inspired by real women - just for you.
Prior to Amalier, I worked in M&A accounting in New York City. Throughout my career, my two main goals were to advance to a managerial role to gain a deeper understanding of how to support team and individual growth, and pay off my undergraduate and graduate student loans. Once I reached these milestones, I started to question: What's next? How do I want to approach the next chapter in my life as I enter my thirties?
That's when I decided to step away from the corporate grind to pursue a more meaningful path that focuses on stimulating creativity. Shortly after, Amalier was born (which you can read more about below). Our mission is simple: create beautiful, functional, timeless bags that elevate any outfit.
At Amalier, we approach every design with intention from sourcing beautiful full-grain leather to finishing each bag with our custom hardware. Every design goes through a year of testing and refinement before it's released. Given our process, we will limit our new collections to just two a year - Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter - because we believe in creating pieces that truly last. Thank you for being part of the Amalier journey, a project built for all us dreamers who refuse to settle for anything less than extraordinary.
With love,
Mia
P.S. Be the first to know about our official launch coming SS 2025 by signing up for our newsletter below.
[AH ● MAH ● LJE]
July 2024
Chapter One: The Idea
Amalier officially began in the summer of 2024, a few months after I had pivoted out of my corporate role to pursue a creative field. As I got ready one morning to plan new career goals, I realized none of my tote bags could securely hold my 16" laptop and was quickly reminded that I never found the ideal work bag during my office days.
I started to search for a chic and functional leather tote and confirmed there was still nothing on the market that met my list of criteria: minimalistic design, high-quality leather and craftsmanship, built-in organization to fit a 16" laptop, lightweight, and priced under $500 - just to name a few.
While I couldn't find my ideal bag, I did find my new pursuit. I began to reach out to female professionals in various industries to incorporate their thoughts for the functional aspects of the design and started to sketch every idea that came to mind.
September 2024
Chapter Two: The First Sample
After weeks of sketching and translating these sketches into a tech pack, I got the first sample made by a local artisan in New York City. This sample cost over $2,000, took three weeks to make, and had over 20 changes from the initial meeting.
At first glance, it was clear that there was a lot to improve from a design standpoint; however, I still loved it. I knew there was still a long journey ahead to finalize the design, but this sample was the first step to moving forward.
October 2024
Chapter Three: The Artisans
One of the first key decisions made for Amalier was to conduct production in Korea. I wanted to showcase the high-quality craftsmanship and have the brand's identity tie back to my Korean heritage.
I spent over two months traveling across Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to find the best tanneries and local artisans in the industry. My mom accompanied me for the first two weeks to help with introductions while I stayed longer to receive samples, sort out production logistics, and ultimately choose our exclusive manufacturing partner.
The process began with meeting eleven factories, ordering samples and mocks from four, and finally narrowing down the decision to one.
However, narrowing down the factories was not as simple and linear as originally expected. I initially went to Korea with a list of five factories from various referrals and through old-fashioned cold-calling. While I was there, the list increased to nine through more recommendations from local leather showrooms. These factories worked with some of the most popular Korean and global brands, but something was still missing.
December 2024
Chapter Four: The Turning Point
After my initial meetings with the first nine factories and receiving a few samples, I quickly realized none of them fully aligned with the vision I had for Amalier.
Luckily, there was a turning point - a reply from Noelle.
I met Noelle in Milan back in 2017 while I was studying abroad. During my final week, I decided to hit any last stops on my list before going home, one of which was visiting the 10 Corso Como Garden Café. As I waited for a table, a woman approached me asking to take some photos for her. That was Noelle. We both happened to be on a solo date so we ended up dining together.
We quickly bonded over our travels and lives back home - mine in LA as a college student, hers in Seoul as a handbag designer. I won’t name the brand for privacy purposes but it was a very popular one listed on W Concept, an e-commerce store showcasing Korea’s hottest brands. You can only imagine how captivated I was by her career and stories.
We hadn't stayed in touch outside of the occasional instagram like, so I was nervous to reach out after all these years. But the second I read her message, it immediately felt like we were back at the cafe just chatting about our lives. Though she had since moved on from the handbag world, she was still able to send me some referrals highly recommended by her friend who works for one of the most popular Korean bag brands right now. That's how I connected with the last two factories for the list - one of which is now Amalier’s production partner.
Sometimes, the most meaningful pieces of your story come from the moments you least expect. That chance encounter in Milan was the final piece to Amalier’s beginning.
Coming Spring / Summer 2025
Present: The Launch
We're excited to introduce our first collection, the Daely Tote, to you as soon as possible. We're still a few months away from completing our very first batch of production and receiving the inventory in our NYC warehouse so we really appreciate your patience. We'll post updates regularly here so please stay tuned.