Alan Walker is sew original.

Sally Gupton Photography

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Sometimes it’s not only what you know, but who you know. In Alan’s case, it was a happy mix of the two that landed him a coveted spot at the Ars Sutoria School for Design and Pattern Making in Milan, Italy. “The actual manufacturing [of my handbags] is the traditional Italian way. What I’ve done is added my designs and used their methods,” he says. The certified master handbag design and pattern maker works in all fabrics, leathers, and exotics and his style is characterized by form and function. “I’m very technical and I want to make sure that the bag is useful.” Alan also keeps it local. “All the Italian leather that I buy comes out of Greensboro. I use microfiber for the lining that comes from Winston-Salem; my Dunlop zippers come from Tennessee.” This month, Alan returns to Milan as one of eight new designers chosen worldwide to show their handbags at the Mipel: The Bag Show.

What do you like about reading skirt!?: “The size and the print, everything is in good proportion.”

What do you like about wearing a skirt?: “I only have to wear it once for the picture!”