Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer

Lola Yellow from the Mimeki line, created by Rochelle Thwaites.

Left: The Kennedy Mini Miele is a currently popular shaped bag.   Right: Kinshasa Stone in beautiful shades of white, bone and bronze Italian leather.

Who made it? A Jamaican living in Los Angeles, Rochelle Thwaites did. She conceptualised and created an exquisite line of handbags, "suited for the modern woman", as described by retailer Kerry-Ann Clarke, whose store, Kerry Manwomanhome, 18 South Avenue, will exclusively carry the line. And what is it called? Mimeki! How delightfully appropriate.

Flair spoke with the designer who was home for the Christmas holidays, in an exclusive interview last week.

In 2004 Mrs. Thwaites, an interior designer by trade, launched the Mimeki line at the World Shoes Accessories (WSA) Show in Las Vegas - one of the largest shoe and handbag expositions in the United States - where she says she was well-recieved.

At the start of her line, Thwaites told Flair she enjoyed no prior training in fashion design. All she had were her wits, and the instincts of a self-proclaimed 'handbag junkie'.

"I have been involved in the fashion industry for some time now. I would do buying for jewellery and handbags on behalf of stores, but this line was my dream and that really pushed me," she says.

Many trips later to manufacturers in New York and suppliers of Italian leather, Mimeki was born.

Mimeki reflects Thwaites' taste for "simple and classic designs, with a twist." Whether using material of an unusual texture, or style, she finds a way to add that little 'oomph', while keeping it simple.

Her signature is the use of different textures and colours on a single bag, and Thwaites emphasises that, "You can have a great design but if the material is not up to par, then the bag is worthless." So she spends much of her time looking at different types of leather, skins and the like, and all she produces is of the highest quality. If it says python skin, then it is the skin of a real python snake.

What's next?

What's next for Mimeki? Outaroad! The line already sells via a dedicated website, www.mimeki.com, but Thwaites expresses an intent to infiltrate the retail market in the U.S., and ink deals with U.S. retailers, just as she has with Jamaica's own Kerry Manwomanhome.

Rochelle also plans to showcase her work at local fashion shows. "I will be coming with a custom line later this year, where customers can create their own colour/texture combinations, using a variety of exotic skins, embossed and coloured leather," she explains. This service will be available through the website. And next season, Thwaites hints that she will expand the line and work with fabric.