in the bag

Well, that was fast. What with Gryson for Target hitting stores on Sunday, a CFDA nomination in the bag, and recession-freaked retailers writing steady orders for the brand's out-of-the-box Fall accessories, there's no denying that Gryson is all grown up now. "I think I was ready to show people what I can do," says designer Joy Gryson of her bags-'n'-shoes concern, which, at the tender age of two, is pretty much having its bat mitzvah, quinceañera, and coming-out party all at once. "For the Fall styles, I think people have been sort of surprised by the direction. The new looks we've introduced are all a little more artistic, sophisticated, edgy. It was interesting to be working on the upstairs collection, so to speak, at the same time that I was designing for Target, because I definitely found myself trying to draw a clear line between the two." As the former director of design for handbags and accessories at Marc Jacobs and an alumnus of Coach and Calvin Klein, Gryson is no stranger to multi-platform launches; as she puts it, she's done "made in Asia and made in Italy." "I think, for me, it's all about respecting the materials that you're working with," she says, "and then making them work for you."



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