(Full disclosure: We did not fall in love with handbags in 1994. Dawne was already in love with handbags, which at the time may not even have been on John’s radar. Also, Dawne’s pretty sure John didn’t fall in love with her on that day. But she fell in love with him, or at the very least, his amazing stylistic artistry!)
Anyway, here’s how Spectacular Bags got started
Let’s take a trip waaay back to 1994. I was newly divorced, broke, and depressed about the prospect of life as a single parent of two young and very spirited daughters. As a refugee from corporate America*, working as a high school math teacher, I was broke. Did I mention that I was broke?
*I eventually went running back to corporate America, but that’s a story for another day.
Despite my degree in math (hello, budgeting!) I decided to treat myself to a fresh look at a tony local hair salon in a tony local mall, Town Center at Boca Raton [Did I mention I was broke?]
Not knowing anything about such places, I made an appointment with “John.” That was all I knew; some guy named John was going to change my hair and, I hoped, my life.
I entered the salon nervous but excited
“So, what are we doing?” he asked. “I don’t know!” I wailed. “But I’m getting a divorce and…” God only knows what I said after that, but I distinctly remember John’s response.
He picked up a limp lock of my long-ish hair and said, “OK, what is this?”
“Sun-In!” I replied brightly. He gave me a look of abject horror, but he rallied.
“OK!” he said, clapping his hands. “We’re going to call this ‘the divorce cut.’ You’ll walk out of here looking 10 years younger, and a virgin blonde.” (Note: “The Divorce Cut and the Virgin Blonde” was the working title of this piece for a looooong time.)
I was sold
That was a loooong time ago, and John’s been doing my hair since that first fateful day. We’ve been through so many of life’s highs and lows together, it’s hard to believe:
- John opening his own salon, and me following along immediately
- The birth of my son
- The birth of my grandchildren (!)
- My occasional forays into various hair colors, some of which were far better ideas than others
- John renewing his passion for art, and sharing his artistic talents (you can see some of his art, – and our bags! – on his Facebook page
- …and way too many more of life’s ups and downs to mention
Through it all, John and I became friends and now, business partners. This is an exciting new chapter for both of us and we’re glad you’re here to share the journey!
As always, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to comment on this post, drop us a line at info@spectacularbags.com, or leave a comment on our Facebook page or Instagram feed.