Kelly Horton

Originally from Philadelphia, New York City–based handbag designer Kelly Horton has designed a line of handbags inspired by the lifestyle of the metropolitan woman. A self-taught designer, Kelly first made her way into the world of fashion not as a designer, but instead as a support assistant for fashion guru Jeffrey Kalinsky, the director of designer merchandising at Nordstrom’s as well as the owner of the popular boutiques Jeffrey’s, Bob Ellis Atlanta and Jeffrey’s New York. Her passion for fashion and love of the arts inspired her to take a chance and branch off on her own to pursue a career as an accessory designer. Kelly began conceptualizing and designing original pieces, making jewelry for herself and friends, which eventually evolved into her making handbags. Stylists began taking notice and requesting designs, using them on-set for photo shoots and red-carpet events. In spring 2006, Kelly launched Madison Kelly NYC, a designer label of her handcrafted handbags. The collection consisted of unique contemporary pieces with creative design structure, various textures and vibrant colors. The designs are edgy originals with the functional simplicity of a great handbag. Kelly decided to redefine the traditional handbag and push the envelope with oversized hobos with nontraditional dimensions, custom hardware and exotic skins.