A Soviet Childhood, A Luxury Handbag Dream | Emily Blumenthal & Taya Bonicos

Handbag Designer 101: The Stories Behind Handbag Designers, Brands, and Industry Icons

Taya Bonicos shares her transformative journey from a childhood in Soviet Russia to establishing the luxury handbag brand Serena-B in Norway

Key takeaways

Taya initially sought cost-effective production through a small workshop in Kiev, Ukraine.
To reach luxury standards comparable to Dior, the brand transitioned production to master artisans in Spain.
A major turning point for Serena-B was Princess Martha Louise of Norway wearing a bright pink fuchsia bag during a public event.
The founder emphasizes that adaptability is a vital survival skill learned through her experiences as a foreigner in the UK and Norway.
Celebrity endorsements from figures like Arianna Huffington and Sofia Vergara helped build global brand momentum.

Main topics

Soviet childhood and luxury aspirations
Entrepreneurial journey in the UK and Norway
Handbag manufacturing challenges

Notable quotes

I'm so wise because I had to learn a lot because I wasn't clever enough.

Conclusion

An inspiring narrative on how personal history and the ability to adap

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) But for me, in a way, in life, you've got to move, you've got to try. And in some way, there was a miraculous gap in the universe where because of COVID, one of the top producers who produced Loewe, Dior and everything, actually decided to open door to a little girl who's like, please, can you see me? Can you, you know? try my bag. I have this passion. I really have this huge desire. I have a dream. And just like that. Speaker 2 (0:29) So you went to Italy? Speaker 1 (0:31) Spain. Oh, you did go to Spain. Yeah, I went to Spain. Speaker 2 (0:37) Hi, and welcome to Handbag Designer 101, the podcast with your host, Emily Blumenthal, handbag industry expert, and the handbag fairy godmother. Each week, we uncover the stories behind the handbags we love from the iconic brands and top designers to the creativity, craftsmanship, and culture that define the handbag world. Whether you're a designer, collector, or simply passionate about handbags, this is your front row seat to it all. Speaker 2 (1:07) So welcome Taya Bonicos of Serena B to Handbag Designer 101, the podcast. Thank Speaker 1 (1:15) you, Emily, for welcoming me here on your podcast. It's an honor to be here. And I'm so excited to discover this whole world of handbag professionals, enthusiasts, people who know all about handbags and want to know more. So thank you. Yes. Speaker 2 (1:32) Our audience is very special that we have. I've explained it to people much like there's so many podcasts that are about film and movies. And so many, I'd say more than 50 % of the people who tune in are just people who are movie buffs and want to know what goes on behind the curtain. So to do that with handbags and as far as we're concerned, discovered people like you who are all the way in. Norway, and giving an opportunity for more people, at least on our side of the pond, to know you exist in your journey and to see your fabulous Gabriella East West bag that's going to be in my book, as far as I'm concerned, is great for everyone. Speaker 1 (2:13) Thank you so much. And I mean, I believe every designer have an incredible story or somebody. who decided to design a bag and then get on the journey of creating a brand, which is a roller coaster on its own. And my story is very similar. I'm going to try and I want also listeners to have some value outside of just hearing, you know, this is okay. Another person started the brand. That's what they did. But I want to add. my reflection and maybe take away at the end so please stay tuned yes i will i will Speaker 2 (2:52) make sure we get to that for sure 100 right Speaker 1 (2:55) because i think for everyone listening whether they're already in the field or wanting to be or curious to discover I think we're all searching online the answers and shortcuts, right? And... Good luck with that. Speaker 2 (3:12) Yes. And I Speaker 1 (3:13) feel it was so far a very interesting journey. And a lot of some people say, oh, you are so wise. Well, I'm so wise because I had to learn a lot because I wasn't clever enough. So anyway, I'm going to try... And Speaker 2 (3:30) go Speaker 1 (3:30) through the Speaker 2 (3:30) fire. Speaker 1 (3:31) I'm going to try... give you some tips that maybe the viewer be like, oh yeah, oh, I can do that and save all this pain, right? Let's hope. So you're originally from Russia? I'm originally from Russia. And it's a very interesting point to start with because I think the seed of desire for luxury fashion, for glamour started back in there. So I was born in Soviet Russia. The reason the Soviet is interesting is because everything was closed off. So we could see, I was at the end of it, but you could see the adverts from far away, Paris, beautiful. And interestingly, it was the commercials of, I think, soap. It was Kameis, but they would look so like, oh my God, this and the fashionable world felt so aspirational, but so far away. And that's... As a child, you kind of soak it all in and that at the back of your mind. And then my parents sent me off to study in the UK where I got my degree in hospitality and then international business masters. And I participated in different enterprise competition, won a big. check as part of the Cambridge Enterprise competition that it was called the Big Beach it was really cool it wasn't a handbag idea at that point so I always felt the nudge of entrepreneurial nudge in me and back to the story of being born in Russia and having all these things seeding with the all excitements of my journey so I left Russia when I was 16 and I started you know young adult okay how do so I got into you England and it's like oh suddenly this world that is so different like even visually how Speaker 2 (5:18) was your English how was your English by that point and Speaker 1 (5:22) did you Speaker 2 (5:23) feel were you so self-conscious of being you know because funnily enough I I worked in Russia and then I moved to England from Moscow post-Soviet time but I feel England is not the warmest place to come as a foreigner. Even as an American, it was like heart staking pain. Like if I'd ever felt cold and isolated, I did not feel it in Russia. I felt it in London until you find your tribe. And it's a very difficult place to find your tribe of people because you're either, are you looking for people like yourself? you know, people who would hypothetically in your case be Russian? Or are you looking for people going through the exact same situation? Meaning people from other countries who are going through the same situation and having to work doubly, triply hard to prove yourself that you're worthy of being there, i.e. why you'd win a competition over anyone else. And it's not that you weren't deserving, but it was one of those things that there's no way in hell I'm not going to win this because I need to prove that I... Made it worth my while for my parents to send me there, for me to come here. Like, I will blaze a trail purely out of principle. Speaker 1 (6:42) It's very much on point. And I think it's a very important foundation to note when anyone, when you're setting your life in a new place and you're a foreigner. And as a human desire, we want to belong. But then there are so many factors. As you said, the cultural factor, the coldness of the just naturally cultures are different than the language factor. You know, when you are speaking in England is one of those places where accent really is important. It really does. It's not only speaking English, but what kind of accent do you sound like? I will always sound like a foreigner, let's put it this way. But still, it's like it's straight away association where you're sitting in the society, which was quite new to me. And when you're just learning English, it's like I just want to be able to pull the words out of my brain and be able Speaker 2 (7:35) to communicate. Speaker 1 (7:36) So all of these things and it is closed off culture. Speaker 1 (7:42) Interesting part of it is like you have what I found being in England as starting my life as a young adult. It's like I discovered that everything is possible on one hand, because I felt I had other preconceptions from my upbringing. So that was great. Like, oh, everything is possible. But simultaneously, I also understood, well, I'm not like every and there are so many barriers and hoops I have to jump through. to be able to belong and even compete. Or to even Speaker 2 (8:13) be successful beyond the competition. England is a very unique place. And it's very much, especially coming from New York, well, where I'm from, historically New Jersey, but it is... wild, and I think only people who've lived in other places can see things this way, that America was founded on privatization, meaning Speaker 1 (8:39) everything Speaker 2 (8:39) was up for sale. You could do anything, any way, because the rules were that there were no rules, like be the fastest, the first, or the best. In England, there's very much protocol. There's very much ways to go. There's very much... And in my case, I used to get made fun of for holding my fork and knife in the wrong hand and using my fork as a spoon and scraping. I remember like they were saying about picking up peas, you know, one by one by one. And I'm like, wait, I'm supposed to wait and eat one pea at a time? Like, who has the time for this? So especially coming from a place like Russia where. That is hustler culture. Like if you want it, you've got to get it, especially when the wall came down. It's like you better get there before anyone else does because it's going to be gone. And now you're falling in a place that's like, no, you must wait in line. You must stand here. You must like that must have been so hard for you. Speaker 1 (9:32) And please be so kind and polite and considerate. And why don't you may ask that? But yes, absolutely. And in many ways, it was the... And don't forget, in addition to all of this, it's like there is another big issue of visa when you're coming from the country. And the reason why it's the issue, because psychologically, you're always like... Like, is it going to last? Or is it like this life that I'm building, is it going to finish tomorrow? Or, you know, always. You have to have that inner belief that it's going to be fine. You're going to sort it out. It's going to be approved or whatever. So all of this. And for me, so I've spent almost 10 years in England. And then I moved to Norway. Why Norway? So my husband is in film and TV industry. I met him in London and he, together we decided, okay, he's British, but he's like, okay, I had enough of them. He traveled a lot, but we knew change. So we were considering going to US, to San Francisco, New York, then considering France. And somehow on the journey of life, we had a meeting with this very famous. We then didn't know he was famous, but the guy who was like a guy, and he was kind of friend of our friend. He's like, come to Norway. And even though it's so close, we've never been. And then we went to Norway. It's like two hour flight from London. And it's like, oh, that's quite nice. That's very civilized. And we felt quite refreshing energy of people being. very educated, very straight to the point. So if in England or like in America, you often have like, oh my God, I love you, whatever, you know, that, which I understand is cultural, but it may not be really true. I mean, depends how people perceive it. It's just, you know, welcoming. And in Norway, everything was like, you know, if they say that's what it is and it's straight to the point. So you build this, oh. You can trust this communication, this people, this system, even though it was also quite cold in places. It was interesting. And it was just before we had kids. Now I have two kids. So it felt, oh, you know, this is a really good place for the family for like, you know, to start. Because London didn't feel great at that point. It was pre-Brexit. Didn't Speaker 2 (11:57) feel Speaker 1 (11:57) like home. It did. It felt, you know, things were changing. And then the Brexit, it was pre-Brexit. And it just, you know, the... The people, the life, it didn't feel right enough. And then Norway felt, oh, that's something interesting, something new, stable, felt very stable and safe for future family. And then basically my daughter was born in London. And since she was three months old, we started living in Norway. And that's almost like 10 years now as well. living in Norway. And the reason why it matters, so back to, so I had, I always been entrepreneurial. So I had one startup in the UK and then it was about healthy ice cream, which is another passion of mine. And, you know, I love that. But then I decided after I had my second child and he was in Norway, they go to kindergarten quite early and I have the difference between kids. two less than three years so I felt like okay you know I went into this motherhood which is great Yeah, but then it's like you have this, you're very busy, but you have this energy and desire to have that output. It's like, you know, I have, I've been mixed up with film and TV and my husband is great, but it's not my voice. And then