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After 15 years in the leather goods industry, Perlina has established itself as one of the most important resources on the department store main floor and beyond. Once a secondary business run from the basement of the Mizrahi brother's retail shop on New York's 5th Avenue, the rapidly expanding manufacturer currently boasts an international distribution spanning 500 doors in the US alone, 2 in-house labels and a new self-titled free-standing boutique. "Positioned behind the sales counter in the late 80's, time and again we were met with requests for attractive, quality handbags, priced at retail between $100 and $150," explains company Co-President Roger Mizrahi. "We surveyed the market high and low and recognized there was no such product; so we created it ourselves." Named after generations of Mizrahi family leading ladies, Perlina was released to the public in the fall of 1989. Endeavoring to fill the niche between high-end designer and low-priced mass-manufactured goods, the brothers constructed a utility-inspired collection made up of simple and functional styles, crafted in what is still recognized today as one of the softest leathers in the business. Managing lofty production minimums, the retailers-turned-designers began distributing overstock to other like specialty stores and boutique owners. Before they knew it they were in the wholesale business, and Perlina was a brand to be reckoned with. Tending to the needs of their verbose customers, organization was the foremost design focus for the Mizrahi brother's first independent collections. The earliest Perlina handbags wore such details as multiple hidden zipper pockets, numerous compartment dividers and extra slots, which would one-day evolve into cell phone and beeper holders. By 5 years, the company's offering had expanded to include small leather goods as well as watches. A decade since, Perlina produces 200 styles of hand-made handbags, briefcases and small leather goods, seasonally. A Family owned business run by brothers Roger & Cezar Mizrahi, Perlina has the support of 300 employees sprinkled about the US, Italy, Japan and South Korea.
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