Patricia Nash Designs celebrated 15 years of business at Macy’s in the Fayette Mall, giving community members the chance to meet the brand’s designer.
The event, held on Friday, March 28, featured a $299 handbag giveaway and a meet-and-greet with the designer and company founder, Patricia Nash.
According to their website, Patricia Nash Designs is known for its vintage-inspired handbags and accessories and “family-driven” mentality, with designs drawing inspiration from Nash’s travels.
Nash, who has been in the design industry for 30 years, said she first got the idea for her company after finding a vintage handbag in her mother’s closet.
“I was helping my mom move out of the house she had been in for 50 years and found this bag all wrapped up, and it had tooling and lace on it,” Nash said. “I loved how the leather had aged and the craftsmanship of it, and that’s when this lightbulb went off.”
Nash, who began her career designing bags for other brands, said she set out to build a company that prioritized “unique designs” and quality craftsmanship at a “good value.”
Fifteen years later, Nash’s designs are sold nationwide in major department stores, according to the company’s website. Nash was also featured on the 2025 Inc. Female Founders 500 — a list celebrating women entrepreneurs shaping the future of business.
As an entrepreneur, Nash said the most important lesson she continues to learn is to never settle, as change can happen quickly.
“You have to be ready to pivot,” Nash said. “You have to be really ready to accept change and move quickly.”
Director of Merchandising for Patricia Nash Designs Cathy Burnett said she has been working with Nash since the company was founded in 2010, saying being with the company from the start has been an “honor.”
“She’s (Nash) the hardest working woman I’ve ever met. She’s a great role model,” Burnett said.“She represents quality, and she wants to inspire people for family, travel and getting inspiration to see the world.”
For customer and Lexington resident, Cindy Wilcoxson, the event was a “full-circle moment,” saying she first discovered Patricia Nash Designs at a Macy’s shortly after the company was founded and has been collecting their handbags ever since.
According to Nash, her creations are inspired by her “deep love” for both travel and family, saying her newest collection was inspired by a family trip to Greece and the memories made there.
“Sometimes it’s architecture, sometimes it’s a bag in my mother’s closet or something I remember my grandmother wearing,” Nash said. “It’s all kinds of influences as I was growing up and then my travels.”
Apart from family, adventure and travel, Nash said her brand is about “enjoying the moments,” especially with family.
“I’m all about quality of time, not quantity of time,” Nash said.
According to Lexington merchandising specialist, Marie Slone, Nash’s creativity “shines through” in each of her designs.
“Patricia herself is a good artist,” Slone said. “Each of her purses are works of art. None of them are the same.”
Slone, who has been with the company for about 12 years, said Nash is very “hands-on” and works alongside her daughter to hand-pick the leather used to make their products.
“You can’t have just one Patricia Nash. She’s like a potato chip, you can’t have just one,” Slone said. “People love her, she’s very family-oriented, good quality, good person overall.”
