Hi! My name is Colleen. I am the owner of The Handkerchief Shop.
I love being a small business owner and I am so happy to be creating beautiful keepsakes for wedding, baby, special occasions and more.
It started with my love of handkerchiefs. At age 7 when my mom gave me my first hanky. There was something lovely and special about that little square of embroidered fabric. As I got older, I started collecting vintage handkerchiefs and my love of beautiful details really began.
I was inspired to develop the Happy Hanky line after not finding any pretty, bridal, happy tear handkerchiefs to give as gifts at my wedding. I wanted the handkerchiefs that I created to feel special just like the one my mom first gave me. I sourced beautiful laces and soft cotton materials and I asked my mom to write the happy tears poem that is found on the back of every Happy Hanky package.
After lots of hard work and late nights, in October 2008, I stood in line on 5th Avenue in New York City for Henri Bendel's "open call" for new products. After meeting with the buyers, I was given the opportunity to do a trunk show at their 5th Avenue location during the Christmas season of that same year. Since then, my handkerchiefs have also been included in trunk shows for Nicole Miller bridal events and I have had the opportunity to work with countless couples and family members and friends of brides and grooms. I have also worked with David's Bridal as well as other bridal salons and boutiques.
It was not long after the success of Happy Hanky that the men in my life started to ask me to make handkerchiefs for them too. From there, The HANK for men was born.
From the beginning, it has been important to me to source materials and keep all my production in the U.S.A. To this day, I feel so blessed to be living out my passion and that I get to work with a wonderful group of inspiring, local, hard-working cutters, sewers, embroiderers, photographers, web designers and so many other entrepreneurs that help me make your one-of-kind items.
As time went on, it felt natural to begin embroidering other items and to grow with our wedding couples as they began a new life together. The Handkerchief Shop has become a space to grow beyond handkerchiefs and continue offering thoughtful gifts not only for weddings, but other special occasions as well.
{Photograph by Love Me Do Photography}