Design stars: Ronald Furst, left, Miriam Jesselli, center, and Zina Eva, right.

One owns a Central American factory, and one creates bags in the back of his Delray boutique.

One has worked in the accessories field for almost 20 years, while two started painting purses in 2008.

What they have in common: All are handbag designers based in Palm Beach County.

South Florida, as it turns out, isn’t a bad handbag headquarters.
Women here “understand and appreciate really fine bags,” says Delray Beach’s Ronald Furst, whose bags also are sold in Paris boutiques. “

They do know their purses.

They’ve seen it all.”

The line: Furst

Who designs it: Ronald Furst of Delray Beach

How he got started: Growing up, Furst always enjoyed sewing and creating his own clothes. He began making purses in his late teens, and by the mid-70s had opened a Manhattan showroom and written Soft Suede, Supple Leather: A New Approach to Craft and Design for Simon & Schuster. At one point, he and wife, Flavie, a jewelry designer, ran Furst stores on three continents.

One owns a Central American factory, and one creates bags in the back of his Delray boutique.

One has worked in the accessories field for almost 20 years, while two started painting purses in 2008.

What they have in common: All are handbag designers based in Palm Beach County.

South Florida, as it turns out, isn’t a bad handbag headquarters.

Liz Krieger, left, and Susan Tancer stand with a couple of bags from their Harrison Todd collection inside Marley's Palm Beach Collection in Palm Beach. ( Richard Graulich/The Post)

Women here “understand and appreciate really fine bags,” says Delray Beach’s Ronald Furst, whose bags also are sold in Paris boutiques. “They do know their purses. They’ve seen it all.”

The line: Harrison Todd

Who designs it: Liz Krieger and Susan Tancer, both of Palm Beach Gardens

How they got started: Susan passed by a store while carrying a bag painted by Liz. The store’s owner raced out the door to ask Susan where she got the bag – and offered her $80 for it. Susan remembers, “I called Liz, and I said, ‘I think we’re in business.””

What the bags are like: The kind of bags that prompt perfect strangers to start conversations, they’re perhaps most notable for their head-turning color. Each canvas clutch, shoulder bag and weekender is hand-painted, hand-sewn and signed by either Krieger or Tancer.

What the bags are like: Funky (materials include exotic leathers and brightly colored canvas with a high-sheen, plastic coating; the linings are often a whimsical floral pattern). Functional (one style, for example, is designed to be carried as a backpack, shoulder bag and tote). Featherweight (they feature little to no hardware).

How much they cost: The best-selling bags are about $400, but Furst says he always has a selection on sale for under $200. He also has “a substantial clientele” who buy his bags made of python, ostrich or Australian crocodile; those go for $1,000 to $3,000.

Where they’re sold: Furst, 123 N.E. 2nd Ave., Delray Beach. The store also carries jewelry designed by Flavie. The couple creates everything in the back of the store.

Why he designs bags: The thrill of “seeing a bolt of cloth or hide of an animal becoming a container that one can carry their belongings in. And I like when I see one of my bags on a gal, and she says, ‘I’ve got to have it. I love it.””

Designer Miriam Jesselli with her Jesselli Couture handbags. (Richard Graulich/The Palm Beach Post)

What’s next: Possibly opening a store in Washington, D.C.

Harrison Todd

How much they cost: $120 to $350

Where they’re sold: Eight boutiques in three states, including Marley’s Palm Beach Collection on Worth Avenue, McTennis at Lost Tree Club in North Palm Beach, Harbor Clothing Boutique and Abby Couture in Jupiter, and the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach.

Why they design bags: The stay-at-home moms had backgrounds in art and fashion merchandising, but Harrison Todd “has taken over. It really has,” Tancer says. “We need to open a studio really soon.” The friends have been making the bags for a little over a year, and the business has claimed several rooms in each of their homes. Now, “this is kind of my identity,” says Krieger. “The fun part is just creating and coming up with new designs.”

Designer Zina Bereck, 39, of Palm Beach Gardens, creator of Zina Eva with several handbags from her Zina Eva collection Tuesday in West Palm Beach

What’s next: Introducing a line of suede bags this fall and adding a shopping cart feature to their Web site, UnframedArtBags.net

How much they cost: $98 to $188 for a Buco bag, with an average price of $165. Bags in her upper-tier line, Jesselli Couture, can cost up to $258.

Where they’re sold: Featured in O, The Oprah Magazine earlier this year, the bags are carried in 400 specialty stores (including Evelyn & Arthur) and occasionally sold on QVC.

Why she designs bags: The challenges of developing a brand, creating colors, working with tanneries … “There is more detail that goes into a handbag than goes into a T-shirt or a pair of pants. There are a lot more processes and steps you need to take.” Jesselli already is working on her fall 2010 collection. “It takes months to develop raw materials that are good enough to put on a handbag.”

What’s next: Launching a new Urban Buco line at Anthropologie this fall and developing a line of commuter bags for Office Depot, as well as a shoe collection.

Zina Eva

What the bags are like: Handmade hobos, totes and clutches that walk the fine line between trend-driven (think fringe, patent leather or studs) and overly trendy. Lined in leather and often featuring Guayacan wood handles or solid brass closures. Available in deerskin, Italian lamb leather and croc-embossed lamb. And did we mention they’re fully customizable?

How much they cost: $220 to $460

Where they’re sold: Select Nordstroms and, locally, at The Shoe Inn in Palm Beach, Kemp’s in Stuart and The Regency Collection in Boca Raton.

Why she designs bags: “I love to make women happy.”

What’s next: “I would love to be in all the major department stores.”

The line: Buco

Who designs it: Miriam Jesselli of Jupiter

How she got started: With almost 20 years of experience in the accessories business, Jesselli’s résumé reads like a Who’s Who of American fashion: consultant to Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, design director at Coach. She launched Kate Spade’s first leather collection.

But, after developing a line of handbags for Levenger and seeing its handbag sales grow 52 percent in a year, the Parsons grad decided to start her own company 15 months ago.

What the bags are like: Featherweight, buttery soft and richly colored totes. Embroidered with scalloped edges and often featuring laser-cut holes, each Buco bag features an ingenious removable pouch that snaps into place. “I don’t want anyone thinking of Buco as just another solid bag,” Jesselli says.The line: Zina Eva

Who designs it: Zina Bereck of Palm Beach Gardens

How she got started: After 9/11, Zina and her husband, Michael – both of whom had worked in the fashion and PR fields, with a baptism by fire in the e-commerce world – moved to Florida. “I knew I could brand other designers and felt I could do something for myself.” Zina Eva was born in 2004.