Our Mission

The Crystal Kodada Story

Fashion runs deep in Crystal Kodada’s jeans, literally and figuratively.
Her native New Yorker parents first met and fell in love at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) back in the 70s, where her mother Linda studied fashion design, and her father Bill studied apparel management engineering. They both graduated, married and started their independent career endeavors in the fashion apparel world.
It was inevitable that their second daughter Crystal Arroyo, who was born in Bronx, New York, followed in their fashion footsteps. At the age of four, Crystal and her family moved to East Brunswick, New Jersey where she grew up. From an early age, Kodada expressed an interest in design and fashion. She loved reading Vogue and Seventeen magazines with her sister and staring at her mother’s fashion sketches.
Growing up, her mother would surprise her with designer handbags like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Coach, and Dooney Bourke. The smell and feel of well-crafted leather always delighted Crystal.
Crystal and her mother’s love for handbags would soon spark her passion for purses. “Every woman needs a handbag, and you can never have enough!” is a mantra you’ll often hear Crystal say. She believes bags are a great way to show the world that you understand fashion without always having to put on your Sunday’s best. You could have blue jeans and a tee, you pair a stunning handbag with it, all of a sudden your style is lifted, and you look put together. It’s like magic.
At the age of 17, Crystal ventured into fashion retail. While working at her first shop, she met her life long partner, and husband Mike Kodada, who inspired her to pursue her dreams in fashion and design.
Crystal has a varied background when it comes to the fashion world -- from working one-on-one with clients in retail settings to studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology, as well as the London College of Fashion. Kodada’s interned for many reputable companies and brands, including Donna Karen, Betsey Johnson and has designed handbags for the fabulous Jessica Simpson.
Kodada has taken on many different roles of the accessories business, including designing, merchandising, production, product development, sourcing, marketing, sales, buying, creative directing and trend analysis. Kodada was able to experience the fashion industry full circle inside and out.
Crystal always knew she wanted to become a designer and own her own handbag company. She believes that knowledge is power, which is why she set out to learn everything there was to learn about the business.
When Crystal and Mike Kodada got married in 2013, the name “Crystal Kodada” was born. It was then that she decided it was time to pursue her destiny to build her own handbag brand that will empower and inspire the lives of women, and bridge the gap between people and products, providing a more meaningful shopping experience. Crystal made it a point to ask different women about what their wants and needs were in a handbag. She took her research and headed for her drafting table. Kodada’s love for vintage and deconstructing old details into new ones was what gave her a distinctive edge in her designs.
In 2014, Kodada developed her first handbag line in a New York City sewing studio and debuted her collection “The experience” during New York Fashion Week at PHD, Dreams hotel’s rooftop lounge. Making her mark in the fashion industry. The collection was based on an adventure of positive emotions that Kodada felt while developing the line and in her life. Her mission was to create a handbag collection that would deliver a memorable empowering experience for her customers. Her best seller the “Limitless” tote. It takes 24 hours to make just one by hand and comes with strategic pocket placement and functional exposed zippers that provide a home for everything from your keys, cellphone, sunglasses, lip-gloss, pen, gum, and cash.
There is no greater feeling in the world than when Kodada’s customers are contacting you to tell you how much they are in love with their Kodada bag and how great it makes her feel while she’s wearing it.
For Kodada, that’s what always keeps her motivated and inspired to stay focused and continue building her dream.
Today, Kodada continuities to grow her made in USA handbag brand offering quality, functionality, versatility, and sophistication with the love and support of her husband, her family the (Arroyo’s and Kodada’s) friends and followers. She always pledges to listen, engage, embrace, and connect with her customers.