Turning Leather Waste into Luxury Handbags | Emily Blumenthal & Cassandra Kane

2026-10-04 · 35 min · 21 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

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

0.62

evidence rules-v5
author of Handbag Designer 101
→ hosted by Emily Blumenthal person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Emily Blumenthal
→ founded CMA company

0.54

evidence rules-v5
founder of CMA
→ founded Zero Lab company

0.54

evidence rules-v5
co-founder of Zero Lab
→ works at CMA company

0.50

evidence rules-v5
founder of CMA
→ works at Zero Lab company

0.50

evidence rules-v5
co-founder of Zero Lab
→ discusses Business company

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Business
→ discusses Entrepreneurship website

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Entrepreneurship
→ discusses Arts concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Arts
→ discusses Design website

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Design
→ discusses Fashion & Beauty concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Fashion & Beauty
→ references betterhelp.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Turning Leather Waste into Luxury Handbags | Emily Blumenthal & Cassandra Kane": https://betterhelp.com/

Entities found in this episode

companys 8

mentioned CMA company

0.68

evidence rules-v5
founder of CMA
mentioned Zero Lab company

0.68

evidence rules-v5
co-founder of Zero Lab
founded CMA company

0.54

evidence rules-v5
founder of CMA
founded Zero Lab company

0.54

evidence rules-v5
co-founder of Zero Lab
mentioned Business company

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Business
works at CMA company

0.50

evidence rules-v5
founder of CMA
works at Zero Lab company

0.50

evidence rules-v5
co-founder of Zero Lab
discusses Business company

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Business

websites 6

mentioned Entrepreneurship website

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Entrepreneurship
mentioned Design website

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Design
mentioned betterhelp.com website

0.45

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Turning Leather Waste into Luxury Handbags | Emily Blumenthal & Cassandra Kane": https://betterhelp.com/
discusses Entrepreneurship website

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Entrepreneurship
discusses Design website

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Design
references betterhelp.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Turning Leather Waste into Luxury Handbags | Emily Blumenthal & Cassandra Kane": https://betterhelp.com/

concepts 4

mentioned Arts concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Arts
mentioned Fashion & Beauty concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Fashion & Beauty
discusses Arts concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Arts
discusses Fashion & Beauty concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Fashion & Beauty

persons 2

mentioned Emily Blumenthal person

0.70

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Emily Blumenthal
hosted by Emily Blumenthal person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Emily Blumenthal

podcasts 1

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

0.62

evidence rules-v5
author of Handbag Designer 101

Episode description as stored

What happens when a designer steps inside the Italian luxury manufacturing system and sees how much material never makes it into the final product? In this episode, Cassandra Kane shares how a move to Florence transformed her understanding of craftsmanship, sustainability, and the hidden costs of luxury production. After years designing for major fashion brands, she discovered the staggering amount of leather waste generated during manufacturing and set out to create a different model. The result was Sieme, an upcycled handbag brand that transforms leather offcuts and overstock into modern, luxury-quality accessories. Cassandra also discusses the challenges of building a circular supply chain in Italy, the creation of Zero Lab, and why transparency, education, and thoughtful design are essential to making sustainability more than just a marketing claim. Key Takeaways: • Waste is built into luxury production — Understanding the manufacturing process reveals opportunities for innovation. • Sustainability requires infrastructure — Great intentions aren't enough without systems that support circularity. • Storytelling builds trust — Transparency, education, and product longevity help customers connect with purpose-driven brands. 🎧 Listen now for an inside look at Italian craftsmanship, circular fashion, and building a luxury brand with sustainability at its core. Our Guest: Cassandra Kane is the founder of CMA, an Italian-made handbag brand that transforms luxury leather offcuts and surplus materials into elevated accessories. Based in Florence, she combines her background in fashion design and product development with a deep commitment to circular manufacturing. She is also a co-founder of Zero Lab, an initiative focused on creating practical infrastructure for sustainable and compliant upcycling within Italy's fashion industry. Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101 , and founder of The Handbag Awards . Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands. Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch , HBD101 Masterclass , one-on-one sessions , and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at emilyblumenthal.com . Support the show Youtube: / Handbagdesigner101-ihda | Instagram: / Handbagdesigner TikTok: / Handbagdesigner | Twitter: / Handbagdesigner Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy