High-end purse maker brings fashion show to Edmond home
EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) — Fashion week may be over in Paris and New York, but it's happening in two days for one talented artist in Edmond.
"I approach it more like a sculptural work of art than I do a purse," said Sydnie Peebles.
From New York runways to famous fashion magazines, Peebles has hammered out a niche for herself in the fashion world.
The Utah native got her start in bootmaking after watching a YouTube video.
"I was inspired by a Hungarian man had making and designing a pair of men's dress shoes," said Peebles. "I just knew that's what I was supposed to do."
She traveled to Guthrie to learn from a master.
"I trained with Lisa Sorrel. She was one of the top cowboy bootmakers in the world," said Peebles. "It was so tough."
Boots evolved into baby shoes, but tragedy struck while carrying her son, Banks.
"Six months into that pregnancy, I ended up delivering my stillborn baby," said Peebles. "I kind of just hid from the world for a while."
Over the years, the Peeble family grew.
In 2020, she reached for an old handbag as a canvas.
"I hand-stitch the top line and it was like everything came back I need to be making bags and I want to make luxury bags," said Peebles.
She went on to England, to learn from a hand-stitching master, Charlie Trevor.
"He agreed to take me on and I went to England and trained with him," said Peebles.
Then she launched her brand in 2022, "Sydnie Banks" named after her first child.
Each bag is unique, and hand made, a stitch at a time with only the best and sometime vintage materials.
"In the middle is a vintage Swarovski crystal and then all the vintage beads are vintage," said Peebles. "This was a vintage hat."
Her work soon showed up in magazines and 2023 New York Fashion Week.
She learned how to work around a painful condition in her hands.
"To the point where I couldn't hold a fork or I couldn't open a door," said Peebles. "I ended up getting diagnosed with a genetic disorder and they told me it's only going to get worse. There's no medication."
In 2024, the plan was to show off her work in during Paris Fashion Week.
"Every time I went to sign the paperwork, I would get this feeling like I wasn't supposed to do it. And I was so mad because I wanted to do it," said Peebles.
Instead of attending fashion week, she decided to be vulnerable and transparent by bringing her exclusive fashion show into her home this weekend. The collection is called "Homeward Bound."
"This is the place where I actually make the bags, this is the place where I struggled all last year," said Peebles.
Her career and family, a mix of pain and triumph, on display.
"This is about doing something that fulfills me, that makes me feel alive," said Banks.