NinoRossi Handbags offers distinctive style at an affordable price

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Finding a high-quality and uniquely beautiful handbag isn’t always easy to do on a budget. From color and style to comfort and versatility, there are so many factors that can come into play when seeking out the perfect purse, so when cost is added to that already extensive list, the task can become a true challenge. Recognizing a need in the market for more options, Jacksonville resident Zeina Ossi has launched NinoRossi Handbags, a new line of luxurious, yet affordable handbags.

“The handbag market is saturated,” says Ossi. “It’s got all kinds of handbags, from cheap and unimaginative to very expensive and highly creative, and what we found is there’s a huge gap in that price range where you really can’t find some exciting and exclusive designs at an affordable price. Our business model is basically to bridge that gap, offering distinguished designs and luxurious quality at reasonable prices, starting at about $249.”

Naming the business after her three children, Ossi and her father launched NinoRossi in October 2017. The line includes a total of 21 handbags in three collections, and each bag is made with European embossed leather in Beirut.

“Our first collection is called the Signature Collection, and we used these leathers to create a very classic line of beautiful and timeless pieces,” says Ossi. “Our second collection is the Panache Collection, where we use colorful strips of leather that are handwoven in a method referred to by the original French name called ‘Tresse’ … and our last collection is the Inscription, and that’s probably the most authentic. We use a centuries-old method of embroidery called ‘Aghabani.’”

According to Ossi, who immigrated to the United States from Lebanon in 1980, Aghabani is a method that was used in Lebanon for embroidering onto cloth by hand.

“What we’ve done is evolve this process by using the more sophisticated method of a hand-and-foot-led machine to embroider beautiful, colorful French silk thread directly onto the leather, creating a very authentic, very artistic handbag,” she says.

Each of the NinoRossi collections includes handbags in seven different body styles, ranging from evening bags and clutches to hobos and totes, and a portion of the proceeds from every purchase is donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

“My mother passed away of cancer seven years ago, and while we were battling with that, we started getting involved with St. Jude’s,” says Ossi. “It was something really close to her heart, so it’s just wonderful to see all this come together for me, because with every sale that we make we donate to St. Jude’s.”

To learn more about NinoRossi Handbags and view the company’s entire collection, visit www.ninorossi.com.