There are some brands where signature shapes speak louder than logos. Those ‘if you know, you know’ ones that exude quiet luxury with thoughtful, beautifully made pieces. Dear Frances is one of those brands.
Now the label best known for its Balla flats — yes, beloved by the likes of , Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, and the too — is debuting a line of luxury bags that are sure to shoot right to the top of every editor's wish list. ‘Over the years with our shoes we’ve really grown to learn to discover who the Dear Frances woman is. We’re now in a place where it feels natural to find other ways to dress her and to excite her,’ said creative director Jane Frances, who founded the brand with her husband Scott O'Connor in 2016.
‘Shoes and handbags go together very naturally.’ The new bag line is a love letter to Italian craftsmanship, keeping the core DNA of Dear Frances front and centre. Founder Frances actually began her career making shoes in Italy, honing the practice through learning age-old traditional crafting techniques.
‘I was not so interested in working for a brand,' she said. 'I was obsessed with the craft of shoe making and the product, I was very keen to work directly with the artisans and immerse myself in the generational craft.’ Something she observed at the time was how brands either focused on using Italian craftsmanship to create very classic styles, or leaned into more fashion-forward styles that lacked artisan detail.
And with that, in 20.
