Serrano Hobo in Silver

Designer Bryna Nicole McMills has been surrounded by fashion since she was a little girl. Early on, she enjoyed her sketchbooks and finding her design aesthetic. A native of San Francisco, she graduated from UCLA and attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She worked as a stylist and as a consultant at a local women’s boutique, taking note of the details that were missing in the accessories market. In 2006, she started her brand Bryna to offer women a wonderful combination of uptown sophistication and downtown originality. The collection of handbags and totes is currently sold on shopping sites, including Shopbop, Bloomingdales, Piperlime, and is available on her own site, shopbryna. Recently I had the pleasure to talk with the designer about her Summer Collection and her travel plans this year.

SF: Tell me about your favorite styles from the Spring 2011 Collection.
BN: I love how the Quintara Tote is very durable, especially in the Ivory Distressed color with a lovely chocolate trim. It’s very versatile too. You can bring the bag to the beach or use it as a weekend tote. Another favorite is the Flint Backpack. I designed the bag as a fashionable update of the school backpack. It’s very roomy with a ton of pockets. I plan on bringing it along on my trip to Asia!

SF: Speaking of travelling, your handbags and totes are ideal as a carry-on bag for air travel. Is versatility important to your design sensibility?
BN: Working as a style consultant, I saw what customers wanted from their handbags and accessories. I knew that functionality was very important. The Hermann School Bag (from her Spring line) was originally designed as a messenger bag, but it ended up being large enough to fit a lap top. For another style, the Serrano Hobo, I added four pockets that all go the way through so it’s much easier to grab your essentials in the bag.

SF: The Summer Collection for 2011 is available now for pre-orders. What styles should we be looking forward to?
BN: I discovered these amazing fabrics from a woman who imports them from India. I was really inspired by the beautiful colors and sifted through over 300 patterns for the handbags and totes. It was a challenge to decide which ones to use for the Ikat Fabric Collection. I also updated the Serrano Hobo, our best selling style and size, in different summer patterns to add some color to your summer outfits. The handbags are made of very durable cotton and lambskin trim, which are perfect to bring to the beach or a city cafe.

Ikat Summer Collection

Hermann School Bag in Red Distressed

Addison Messenger Bag in Cognac