Wendy Stevens began designing handbags in 1983. She had just moved to New York City, leaving behind the West Coast and a career in bilingual elementary school education. Surrounded by friends making art in all realms, she began to explore her own artistic potential, which she found in the very fabric of the city. For some, a subway car is nothing more than a fast way to get from downtown to uptown. But for Stevens, it was a fascinating form in sheet metal--as were the telephone booths, elevators, and construction sites she saw all around her each day.

And so her fascination with sheet metal began. Stevens scoured the city's hardware stores and industrial venues for materials and hand tools. She spent her days cutting, punching, and sanding sheet metal in her apartment. By night, she worked at a club where she noticed an enormous need for small, durable handbags, just large enough to hold some change, a driver's license, and lipstick. Stevens got an idea, and soon after, she made her first handbag.

To this day, Stevens makes each piece by hand. She even designs her own sheet metals. The originality of her work has garnered attention in top fashion and design magazines from around the world.