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Company Overview
MZ Wallace is an American company which designs, manufactures and markets handbags and fashion accessories. The company was founded in 1999 by Monica Zwirner (born New York City, 1962) and Lucy Wallace Eustice (born New York City, 1965). Based in New York, its stores are located in the Manhattan neighborhoods of SoHo and the Upper East Side, and were designed by New York-based German architect, Annabelle Selldorf. The MZ Wallace design studio and showroom are also in SoHo. In addition to their own boutiques and website, MZ Wallace has built a strong presence throughout the United States through select areas in department stores and specialty retailer locations, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's. The brand is known for introducing a sense of "functional luxury" into women's handbag collections, mainly characterized by their signature lightweight Bedford Nylon and Oxford Nylon materials. The company’s custom Bedford Nylon took two years to develop before launching in 2007. Later came the development of the Oxford collection in 2009, which launched with original styles such as the Sutton and Large and Small Metro Totes. Since its debut in 2014, the best-selling Medium Metro Tote has become a registered U.S. trademark as of 2015.
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Company History
Prior to MZ Wallace, Lucy was a magazine editor at Harper’s Bazaar and Elle and Monica was a fashion stylist in the United States and Europe.
In 2000, they opened their flagship store in SoHo on Crosby Street and in 2010 they opened another store on the Upper East Side on Lexington Avenue.
For the company's fifth anniversary, they collaborated with Canadian contemporary artist Marcel Dzama on a limited edition of jewelry in the form of 18-karat gold charms made with rubies and diamonds. Known for working in painting, drawing, and collage, Dzama designed a series of animal charms featuring an alligator, a bat, an octopus, and two bears.
The Portrait Project, short documentary videos shot by German photographer Anna Bauer, launched in 2013. This on-going series profiles New York women who embody the spirit of the MZ Wallace brand, including visual artist Joan Jonas, writer Lily Koppel, boxer Heather Hardy, journalist and political analyst Jami Floyd.
In July 2016, MZ Wallace co-founders and designers Monica Zwirner and Lucy Wallace Eustice were accepted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Philanthropy
In 2011, MZ Wallace collaborated with Artists for Haiti, a non-profit charitable organization co-founded by Monica’s husband, art gallerist David Zwirner, and actor Ben Stiller. This project resulted in a tote bag design featuring original hand lettering by artist Raymond Pettibon.
In 2014, MZ Wallace collaborated with New York-based contemporary artist Glenn Ligon to create a unique tote, the entire proceeds of which were donated to the education program at The Studio Museum in Harlem, run by Thelma Golden.
Additionally in 2014, MZ Wallace partnered with Food52, co-founded by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, to create a "Farmer's Market" tote. Proceeds were donated to the Edible Schoolyard Project, founded by Alice Waters.
In 2015, MZ Wallace partnered with artist Raymond Pettibon on an exclusive Library Tote, in which 100% of the proceeds go towards enhancing and preserving The New York Public Library’s special collections.
Awards
New York Magazine named MZ Wallace the "Best Handbag" in 2009.
In 2010, the Kate bag received the award for best travel bag as part of the annual Travel + Leisure Design Awards.
MZ Wallace received The Independent Handbag Designer Awards 2016 Iconoclast Award for "Lifetime Achievement in Handbag Design".