Fashion Designer With Jewish Ancestry Shows Great Promise With New Luxury Collection
Jewish Fashion designer, Sharon Wilkes, grew up in a family who embraced their Judaism, activism and creative talents. Sharon credits her love of fashion to her “Omama” or grandmother who was a celebrated couturier before World War II in Vienna. From Wilkes’ early childhood, her Omama inspired her love of fashion and her understanding of things beautifully made. Sharon’s childhood dream to become a fashion designer eventually prompted her to obtain a BFA in fashion from Parsons School of Design.
After building a very successful career in the fashion industry working as a design director for international brands, Sharon took time out when her children were born. Over the next years, she moved to Washington with her family and obtained a law degree to pursue her other passion, advocacy. After earning a law degree, Wilkes immersed herself in lobby work on behalf of Israel, helping organizations in the fight against anti-Semitism and working with Members of Congress to push back on anti-Zionism in International organizations.
However, designing her daughter’s wedding party including a custom bag of her daughter’s dog for the wedding, made her realize how much she missed being creative and the fashion industry. Sharon has reinvented herself to focus on her original passion of fashion design, determined to succeed in reaching discerning women who appreciate quality and see handbags as a way to reflect their personal style.
Sharon’s new venture is a luxury handbag and evening bag line manufactured in Italy by top artisan factories using the finest leather and non endangered exotics. Every stitch is sewn to perfection and the bags are designed to be multi-generational.
Although produced in top luxury factories, Wilkes’s bags are priced ranging from $475 to $875. In addition, Wilkes can create one-of-a-kind bespoke bags for clients in unlimited options –for example a hand-painted face of a pet, one in Swarovski crystals or the lace of one’s wedding dress. Her new creative venture showcases Sharon’s attention to detail, and her feminine, sophisticated style that always has a touch of whimsy.
The bag styles include classic clutches that can convert into cross bodies, bucket bags, and totes. There is an animal print collection in rich Karung, a non-endangered lizard species that looks luxurious and is durable. Wilkes has had poodles since childhood and as a tribute, all her bags have her custom made brass poodle zipper pulls and are lined in hot pink suede or satin.
Many of the bags showcase different operas, ideal for the opera aficionado who wants to make a statement when they “dress up.” Others depict cities including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Venice, New York, Washington DC, and Las Vegas.
According to Wilkes, “the hottest fashion trend this spring will be all about color; in beautiful cross body handbags which are in either combination of gorgeous textures in rich bold colors or patchwork in
combinations paired with classic colors, rich totes that imitate gorgeous animal skins and add a pop of color. For example the mix of a rich burgundy alligator look calf touched with gold that is both sophisticated and subtle.”
Sharon Wilkes divides her time between residences in Chevy Chase, Maryland and her home in East Hampton, New York.