In short
Melissa Morris, founder of luxury handbag brand Metier, explains how she built seasonless, timeless bags that prioritize real functionality and purposeful design. She covers her education (double major in sculpture and business), career path through brands like Helmut Lang, Armani, Bellstaff, and LVMH, and why she left luxury fashion to start Metier in 2015.
Key claims
“functional” can be elegant and warm; bags should support modern travel from morning to night; Metier avoids cannibalizing designs by creating one product per journey; rigorous testing simulates 20 years of use; Metier’s growth relies on “breadcrumbs” and word-of-mouth rather than big marketing budgets; bespoke customization is driven by artisan techniques and loyal client demand.
Notable examples
Metier bags appeared on Succession and The White Lotus; Kate Middleton wore them; costume designer Joanna Johnston borrowed bags for Indiana Jones; Nicole Kidman wore Metier in The Undoing.
Guests
Melissa Morris (Metier founder; sculpture/business background; former luxury fashion designer/merchandiser). Host: Hilary Kerr (Who Outwear co-founder, chief content officer).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOMelissa's Academic Background
0:45 to 1:58
Discussion on Melissa's unique dual major in business and sculpture.
“and business, she loved studying the structure of things, whether that's the construction of jackets or watches or the shapes of furniture and cars.”
The Artistic Influence of Sculpture
1:58 to 3:19
Melissa explains her love for sculpture and its connection to her current work.
“We like to start this podcast at the beginning.”
Post-Graduation Path and Career Choices
3:19 to 6:11
Melissa discusses her journey after college and her initial career choices.
“You know, you start out just in general sort of visual arts and experience all the different mediums.”
Experiencing the Gap Program
6:11 to 8:34
Melissa shares her experience in the Gap's training program and its impact on her.
“When I was in university, I studied abroad in Dublin and sort of everyone was seemingly going to Rome or Paris and that must do something different.”
Transitioning to Luxury Fashion
8:34 to 11:20
Melissa talks about her decision to move to New York and work in luxury fashion.
“Was there a particular aspect of that program or that rotation through different departments that really spoke to you above the others?”
Building an Entrepreneurial Mindset
11:20 to 14:00
Melissa reflects on her career in various brands and her entrepreneurial approach.
“Did you consider staying for a longer period of time?”
Finding Opportunities in Entrepreneurship
14:00 to 15:44
Learn how speaking up and being proactive can lead to career growth.
“I sort of just kept soaking up every opportunity I could find.”
The Moment of Transition to Métier
15:44 to 17:10
Explore the pivotal moments that pushed Melissa to start her own brand.
“I mean, again, very intuitive, not super thought out at all.”
Design Philosophy Behind Métier
17:10 to 19:20
Understand the design principles and inspirations behind Métier's products.
“Well, not super far because I then was able to have the financing to start Metier.”
From Concept to Creation: Financing Métier
19:20 to 20:49
Discover how Melissa secured financing to realize her vision for Métier.
“So you had mentioned very briefly that there was the financing piece that made Metier day ago.”
Show all 22 chapters
Product Design and Testing Processes
20:49 to 23:15
Learn about the innovative testing processes that ensure product quality.
“And I applied, as I said, a lot of my sculpture practices and, I guess, intuition again.”
The Importance of Versatility in Design
23:15 to 24:36
Explore how versatility shapes the luxury product offering at Métier.
“weekend bag, I mean, our bags are serious investments.”
Launching Métier: A Brick-and-Mortar Approach
24:36 to 28:00
Understand the rationale behind launching Métier with a physical store.
“It's about really creating like a baseline loyalty as well, which is a very different way of looking at things than a really refreshing one, to be honest.”
The Concept of Luxury Products
28:00 to 30:16
Explore the innovative approach to luxury products and brand experience.
“You know, a product isn't just about the product.”
Product Launch and Customer Needs
30:16 to 33:16
Discuss the launch of bags and how customer needs shape design decisions.
“How many styles did you end up launching with?”
Marketing Strategies for Metier
33:16 to 35:18
Learn about the unique marketing strategies that created a loyal customer base.
“There was always that sort of icon piece.”
Cultural Impact and Collaborations
35:18 to 37:08
Discover how Metier's bags gained visibility through film and celebrity endorsements.
“And, you know, all the time, especially in the early days, you're being told, well, everyone's doing this with this influencer and that and blah, blah, blah.”
Customization and Client Connection
37:08 to 41:18
Examine the demand for bespoke offerings and the connection with clients.
“called Jake Kelly with George Clooney, which we're really excited about.”
Lessons from Mistakes
41:18 to 42:01
Understand the importance of resilience and confidence in overcoming challenges.
“And I love reading the messages, like whether it's to yourself, people write such inspiring things for themselves.”
The Importance of Sharing Mistakes
42:01 to 45:30
Learn why discussing mistakes is crucial for resilience in careers.
“the course of their career, but we don't always talk about it.”
Finding Confidence in Career Pivots
45:31 to 47:30
Discover advice for making significant career changes with confidence.
“and they know that they want to do something different.”
Advice to Younger Self
47:31 to 48:43
Hear insights on the importance of listening and self-reflection.
“younger Melissa at any point in your career?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:05Hi, everyone. I'm Hilary Kerr, the co-founder and chief content officer of Who Outwear, and this is Second Life, a podcast spotlighting women who have truly inspiring careers. We're talking about their work journeys, what they've learned from the process of setting aside their doubts or fears, and what happens when they embark on their second life. Today on the show, I'm speaking with Melissa Morris, the founder of Metier, a luxury handbag brand that has redefined what it means to marry fashion and function. Melissa always had a deep love for design, not just with fashion, but with anything she found beautiful.
0:43As a double major in sculpture and business, she loved studying the structure of things, whether that's the construction of jackets or watches or the shapes of furniture and cars. When Melissa joined the luxury world, working for huge brands like Helmut Lang, Armani, Bellstaff, and LDMH, she found the space lacking pieces that had real utility, especially when it came to bags. She looked everywhere for a dream line of seasonless, timeless bags that had the perfect item for any occasion and came up short. So, despite having never designed a bag during her fashion career, she launched Metier in 2015.
1:24Over the past decade, Melissa's commitment to craftsmanship has brought the brand massive success. Metier bags have made their way onto Hollywood sets, appearing on the arms of celebrities in award-winning shows like Succession and The White Lotus. And this year, Melissa is taking her work with Metier further with new, bespoke options. I am so fascinated by Melissa's journey, and I really loved our conversation.
1:51Melissa Morris:Now, on Second Life, it's Melissa Morris. Okay, are you ready to start? Yes. We like to start this podcast at the beginning. So, what did you study in school? And much more importantly, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up? So, in school, I double majored. I studied business and sculpture. I've always sort of loved art and the creative side of things, going to museums when I was younger, galleries. I loved fashion for my grandmother, but I also always really loved numbers and math and strategy and playing card games with my family growing up. I've always just loved both where you sort of draw the lines and color inside them.
2:35Melissa Morris:Growing up, I didn't really think about it. I think I was such a serious student, even though my mom tells me I didn't study at all. I sort of remember, but I remember it differently but I was so focused on being a student I think at the time you know I didn't have a big plan or a big vision in that way I just sort of have always followed my intuition of what interests me and what I'm inspired by and I just sort of have run always in that direction I love that by the way I feel like you might be maybe the only double major in sculpture and business. That is a very unique duality. And I love that unusual combination.
3:16Talk to me about sculpture. What did that mean? How do you major in sculpture?
3:21Melissa Morris:You know, you start out just in general sort of visual arts and experience all the different mediums. I was always just really drawn to sculpture. And you are exposed to different materials to work with, but you're also really encouraged to use what inspired us. So I was really interested in found objects or things along those lines. I found it really interesting to have to work with those materials. But in specific, I loved making chairs. Why chairs? Yeah, I always found them to be the most interesting because there was a purpose to them in my mind. So it was sort of art, but it was also functional art.
4:02And it was something that, you know, you change what
4:06Melissa Morris:the shape is and what materials you're using based on what you need to do in it. And I guess that has a very obvious through line to now what I do at Metier. But even when I came up with the idea for Metier, it wasn't really about that per se. It was just, again, intuition for what I felt like was missing in bag design today. And I guess it was really about something that worked for the people using it. And I think that's why I loved chairs too, is sort of how you can blend the artistic side and something really beautiful and perfected with what was actually useful and logical. I've sort of always looked to blend the two.
4:44May I ask a random question? Sure. Do you have a favorite chair?
4:49Melissa Morris:Yeah, I mean, the Charlotte Perignon Chais Long was always one of my favorite. For me, what I find just so special about it is how simple it is, yet how complex of a design it is. So just very subtly with the way you can tilt it and sort of rock it, it changes the angle for you to be sleeping or conversing or resting. And so we often talk a lot about the word functionality in the studio because it's morphed into something that sounds sporty or utilitarian. But these sorts of designs really show that actually functional is just purposeful, it's useful, and it can be done in the most elegant, simplistic way.
5:30And that is actually
5:31Melissa Morris:the bigger challenge. And ironically, chairs since have become much more complicated. And I think there's a lot of that simplistic design that's minimal, but not in a way that's boring. It's incredibly soulful and warm and sexy, you know. And I think minimal design is another thing that can be warm. It can be modern. So I look a lot at those references. That's what really inspires me. I love that. Okay. So going back to college, you graduate. Talk me through your post-graduation plans. Did you have a sense of where you wanted to go? By the time you were a senior, had you set your sights on something or were you still in a place of exploration?
6:11Melissa Morris:No. When I was in university, I studied abroad in Dublin and sort of everyone was seemingly going to Rome or Paris and that must do something different. And in the same way after university, most of my family lives in New York and everyone was sort of going to New York and I was, no, that's not happening. She forges her own path. I know. So I thought California and I was really interested in San Francisco. I just felt like a pull to it. I looked at what fashion companies were in San Francisco. I always loved fashion growing up and I thought that could be cool. Maybe I will be in journalism. I didn't know.
6:50Melissa Morris:And I saw that Gap was in San Francisco and that they had at the time this nine month training program. You know, every three months you're rotating through a different part of the company. Half the time you're shadowing executives, half the time you're being taught. It just sounded magic and to sort of get to be in three different parts of the company and to see how everyone wants to achieve the same mission. Everyone wants to create great product for a brand and be successful. But from someone in production's point of view, these are their pain points. And someone in merchandising's point of view, these are their pain points.
7:29Melissa Morris:And getting to see all of that made it so fascinating for me to sort of how you tailor what you're going to say based off of what will make the most sense to the person you're saying it to. It was just such a crash course in how to work together as a team and how to understand different interests and trying to figure out how to sync them up. And then the actual classroom lessons were sort of being taught on presentation skills from a longer presentation that was 10 minutes long to five minutes to you're in an elevator with the CEO and he's pressing for six and you're at three and he looks at you and says, who are you?
8:11Melissa Morris:And tell me about your business. So you have 30 seconds, go. And it was such a lucky crash course to be involved. And I think from there, I just fell in love with the business of fashion and how you can sync something really creative and really authentic and a very clear identity with what's logical. And I just immediately fell in love with the industry. Was there a particular aspect of that program or that rotation through different departments that really spoke to you above the others? No, I really loved them all. I've always found every aspect of every company so interesting and important, but I love merchandising.
8:51Melissa Morris:I mean, Gap is very much a merchant led company and the way we were taught was sort of the merchant is the hub of the wheel. And you're sort of working really closely with design and brand on what they're seeing next. And you're working really closely on the financial side, on what the targets are and production side. And you're bridging it all together to constantly be charting you forward with what's new and what's next and what's relevant. And I think if anything of what I see today, the danger is that there's too much data and people are too reliant on data and often looking backwards too much and aren't allowing their intuition to guide them forward into what is new.
9:34Melissa Morris:An example, when I was explaining this to the team, I was saying it's very similar if one year you sold denim jackets really, really well. And what are you going to buy next year? And it's like denim jackets. Well, no, not necessarily. They already have one. They already have one. Good point. But what is it? It's that layering piece that you can wear indoors or outdoors in that certain type of weather. and maybe this year's version of that is the fisherman's cardigan or a slouchy blazer or whatever it is but what's our take on that and more again going back to drilling to what's the customer need what's their reason for buying that and not being so binary in your assumptions it's interesting to hear you say that about data because obviously we're very data-led on the content side but i always talk about this and like data tells you where you've been it doesn't necessarily tell you where you're going because you don't have data on what the next thing is.
10:31It'll help you iterate. And that's great. But it's like you have to give them what they want, but you also have to give them what they don't know they want yet.
10:39Melissa Morris:Correct. We use the phrase magic sauce or I just got out of my brand magic meeting, which is like the most fun meeting where we just dream up all of these crazy ideas. But that time is so important to innovate. You know, we aren't just like this group of people sitting in like this weird lab. It's not that at all. I'm always linking us back to objectives of what we want to do, what story we want to tell, who's the audience, what's the medium they're getting it in, if they're getting it in the mail, how does it unfold? Really thinking about the experience and being incredibly thoughtful and detailed.
11:13Melissa Morris:That's why I love design. Okay, going back to the gap. So you had this amazing experience. What was your next step? Did you consider staying for a longer period of time? I know that you decided to move on at some point. So what was that math? It was an incredible experience. I loved working there. I loved living in San Francisco. I loved the cafeteria.
11:38Melissa Morris:They had tots. I was really into them. I ultimately decided to move back to the East Coast and move to New York. I think I was really interested to experience luxury fashion. And I probably wanted to come home and be closer to home. And it was calling and off I went. So you spent the next several years working in design and merchandising at a number of different amazing brands, Helmut Lang, Armani, LVMH, Bellstaff. Talk to me a little bit about your trajectory between all of these brands and how you navigated where you would go next. It's intuition. I do. I know that that word is, I'm probably saying it a bit too much, but it is one that I think is so important.
12:27Melissa Morris:And, you know, I make plenty of wrong decisions, but I never regret them if they were mine. The ones that actually really stick out to me in my life are ones that I made because I got someone else's advice and it didn't feel what I would have done, but I did it anyway. And ultimately none of us know what's right or wrong. And I think you have to just live or die by your own sword in a way. So I didn't really, again, have a big master plan. The thing that probably unites all of those experiences, I always sort of carved out a little area of a business where I felt like I could make the most impact.
13:04Melissa Morris:And it was not the hot department or it was sort of my own little area that I could sort of entrepreneurial take on and completely revamp and bring something new to. I kept carving out my own little mini businesses. How entrepreneurial of you. I was always looking to recreate what I had learned at the Gap and how a cross-functional team is meant to work together and what ultimately everyone's sort of piece of the pie is supposed to create. And I was lucky. I found those areas and got the support or encouragement from leadership to take on those areas. And I always just kept taking on more. So at Helmet Lang, when I started in one area, I then was like, well, the design for the windows could be this, or what about our marketing?
13:55Melissa Morris:And what about, So, you know, and I just kept taking things on and there wasn't anyone else to do it. And so I was able to. And that was incredible. I sort of just kept soaking up every opportunity I could find. It's really interesting because it's all very entrepreneurial to understand, like, how everything works together, to be interested in the whole. It sounds like you were always drawn to that. Yeah. And I think, you know, sure, you might be stuck in a silo if you're just sort of muttering from the sidelines about what should change or how things should be done or in your own head. But speak up in the right way, present ideas in the right way, gain advocates of your cross-functional partners, bring ideas together because improving a process, growing a business, coming up with something groundbreaking is what everyone wants.
14:43Melissa Morris:You know, ultimately, people don't want to just sit all day and not succeed. And if you have an idea, speak up. You know, when I was making the case at home at Lang for what I wanted to do, I was doing three or four people's jobs for one. But it was exciting. And ultimately, then I ended up having a big team beneath me. But there wasn't that opportunity then. I've been really lucky throughout my whole career. And this is probably something that is maybe more rare, but also I'm really grateful for. I've had incredible mentors and advocates at every company I've ever worked for that have really believed in me.
15:22Melissa Morris:And sort of when I went with an idea, I was like, okay, cool, make it happen. And that is having leaders that will support you and listen to you and make time for you. But also I knocked on the door and said, can I have 10 minutes? I have an idea, you know, and I would have a thought out proposal. I didn't waste people's time. So I think it's being smart with it too. I would say. So talk to me about the moment or the moments that led up to you deciding to think about starting Metier and walking away from your career as you had known it and start something different. I mean, again, very intuitive, not super thought out at all.
16:06Melissa Morris:After about a decade or a bit more in the industry, I fell out of love with it. I was finding that the pace of the industry, the seasons, the digital aspect of it, it was all becoming so immediate. and the care and the attention and the detail to the design and the purpose of the product and what it was meant to do, I felt it was slipping away. We were only thinking about denim jackets instead of what could be with the fisherman's cardigan or whatever else. And worse, you know, being delivered another brand's product and said, well, this is amazing. We should do this. Well, no, oh, like that's right for that brand, not this brand.
16:47Melissa Morris:And the authenticity and ultimately what I fell in love with in general is really thoughtful product design and at the gap, then more really interesting business models and how to bring that all together. Both I found to be really lacking as time went on. And so I left. I wanted to go to culinary school. I love to cook. How far down that road did you go? Well, not super far because I then was able to have the financing to start Metier. I knew immediately what I wanted to do and I wanted it to be something that was incredibly timeless, something that exemplified everything I love about design, about products, about business model.
17:36Melissa Morris:So I wanted it to be seasonless, timeless, and answer the need, a need that I thought was out there in the biggest way, which really was with bags because sort of the 21st century had changed our lives so much, but the inside of the bag has never changed to keep up. I thought, how can I apply what I loved about the Perignon chair or these other design icons that merge purpose or function and elegance in such a beautiful way? how can I bring that to a bag? So I knew I needed to be in Europe because I'd worked a lot with Italian brands. Being far away is impossible.
18:19Melissa Morris:Not possible. It's just not possible. So I knew I didn't need to be in Europe. And I thought, okay, cool. London sounds like a great place to be. Why not? I know no one, but why not move to London? This for sure would be the place also to launch it. And I was very adamant that we have a store to launch with, which also seemed crazy because this is like the payday of e-commerce, but I was adamant, which turns out I was right. But back then I had no idea. So I came to London, looked around, met a few friends of friends, had a ton of fun visiting, and then thought, I have my whole life to live in London.
18:57Melissa Morris:I should move somewhere I'm never going to live while I design it until I'm ready to come to London. So I moved to Berlin. Amazing. I lived in Berlin for almost four years and it was incredible. And I was between Berlin and Italy developing it and then moved to London in the middle of building out our store and just before we launched it. And then I've been in London since. Okay. So you had mentioned very briefly that there was the financing piece that made Metier day ago. Talk to me about that piece of it. And also, I'd love to know more about, obviously, you had a clear point of view, but how did you put all of the storytelling together in the beginning?
19:40Melissa Morris:It was a private individual who I had known in the past and sort of had known what I was able to do and believed in me. And so that was, again, really lucky in a lot of ways, because it gave me also the freedom to stay really true to the vision. You know, I had never designed a bag before. Wait, what? No. I buried the lead on that one. Wow. My sculpting background, I think, probably informed a lot. Yeah. And you had use cases. Certainly you used them. Well, that was it. I couldn't find what I was looking for. Nothing worked for me. And we all had bags inside of bags inside of bags. They were all bottomless pits and mini bottomless pits.
20:19Melissa Morris:or you're sort of a chic crossbody and it's like gross tote and none of it makes any sense. And so I just felt like that was what was missing in the most obvious way. And I think probably not having designed a bag before was useful for me because I didn't have any preconceived notions of what clodur couldn't be done. I didn't have any idea around what are the different shapes, what are the different types of bags. And I was able to completely rethink it. And I think that probably has allowed so much innovation to come. I'm a quick learner, too. So I taught myself pretty quickly. And I applied, as I said, a lot of my sculpture practices and, I guess, intuition again.
21:01So talk to me about the initial assortment for Metier. Like, how did you decide these are the styles, these are the bags? And then I want to talk about the testing process.
21:13Melissa Morris:Yeah. So it's a similar approach to how it is now. It's actually pretty much the same. I started out with a list of journeys that I wanted to satisfy. And then I designed one product for every journey. And I designed and developed different materials. None of them would cannibalize each other. That's the whole thing in the collection. Nothing does the same job. No two colors, no two materials, no two styles. And, you know, I had really focused on where I thought the core of the issue was, I guess, which was sort of proper travel bags. For me, travel in the modern sense also means every day from morning to night as well as overnight.
21:56Melissa Morris:So it was really bags for every day that could as seamlessly travel to being a travel bag to then back to a day bag. So if I get up in the morning working all day, then hopping on the train to the Eurostar, getting to my hotel, then have to go to a dinner, dropping your bag in the hotel? How does it all just transform so that you're not arriving completely stressed out that you've lost your keys or your passport or whatever? But second of all, that you're not carrying a giant bag into a dinner, that it can all move seamlessly with you. To me, that's luxury. You wouldn't buy a car if it didn't drive.
22:29Melissa Morris:You certainly wouldn't buy a luxury car if it didn't drive. And so for me, a bag in its most basic form needs to carry things in the way we need them to in the luxury version should do that the most beautifully. And so that's where we started larger day bags for every day and overnight. And then since then, I've continued to just sort of fill in the journeys, whether it's things that I experienced that I was missing that I needed, or luckily we have the best clients ever that are really passionate and tell us like, oh, can you make this next or that? Or I get a lot of ideas as well and collaborations with really interesting other creatives that's also fueled innovation and newness, but it's always with the view of not cannibalizing what's existingly there.
23:14Melissa Morris:You know, if you're going to spend$4 ,000 on a weekend bag, I mean, our bags are serious investments. You know, you better know that you're getting the best from us possible and this is the best we can do. And you're not going to get another bag next season that does the same job that wishes better. That's just not fair. It's interesting because I think that the word versatility is not a particularly sexy word. Like it feels very quotidian and uninspiring in many cases and often just means sort of like the watered down version, I think. but like in its highest form it feels like that's part of what you were striving for is like the way a chef's knife can do anything in the kitchen that you don't need all these like one-off gadgets for something if you have one really great knife like that can carry you through so much but it has to be a really great one I love that you were thinking about that foundational like yes the form and function have to be there but also like the seamlessness of like how do we make this work for you at every part of your journey is such a lovely and considered process and feels different from the way it feels like a lot of brands design into trend or they don't start with the core functionality.
Read the full transcript
24:28And then also, you know, to be totally transparent, it's like, it's not just chasing revenue by chasing new assortment. It's about really creating like a baseline loyalty as well, which is a very different way of looking at things than a really refreshing one, to be honest.
24:47Melissa Morris:Yeah. I mean, I think it's just what inspires me. Yeah. So talk to me about your rigorous testing process because you put your products through a facility that simulates the aging process, rain, humidity, other elements. I find that fascinating. Why did you go that route? of. So the first person who ever joined Metier develops all of our product. I had no idea about this testing facility. This was his idea. And there's this facility in Italy that simulates 20 years of use. So wind, rain, 10 kilos of stones and shaking, like the whole gamut. So after two and a half years of sort of perfecting our collection, we then like sent these protos off to war.
25:34Melissa Morris:I was like, oh, horrible. But luckily they came back and passed the test. And, you know, that really comes from incredible engineering. Sort of we re-engineered how you craft a bag. So instead of reinforcing and creating a lot of structure within it, I wanted it from a design perspective, it to be really soft and slouchy. That's the aesthetic I like. I want it to look a little relaxed and buttoned. That's really, from a modern perspective, what I think is really interesting when it looks effortless and sort of always when you see someone sort of walking down the street with that perfect white shirt, it's tailored perfectly, you turn and it's not the flashiest thing, but it's just, you can tell a really well tailored white shirt from not.
26:19Melissa Morris:So I wanted it to be really slouchy and lightweight and easy, but also stand up when you put it down and also be strong and stay on the test of time. They've been engineered properly. In some of the most sort of fragile places, we used extra strong thread. I don't want to use it all over because it's a bit thicker and I don't want like visually the appearance, but I think that's always where we're sort of balancing how to create the function in the most elegant form and where you need that and where to back off. It's that push and pull that is our obsession. I love it. It's so interesting. So talk to me about launch.
26:59So that happened in 2017. And you took, as we discussed earlier, a somewhat risky approach in that moment and decided to launch with brick and mortar, despite it being a very like hot e-com world. What made you decide on doing that? And what was the initial assortment in that store?
27:22Melissa Morris:I love stores. I love to shop. and at that point retail stores were getting a really bad rap I think sure if I'm going to go into a store that has the exact same edit as every other store and no one knows a thing about the product no one can find my size and I'm standing in the fitting room freezing waiting for the next side yeah okay I'll order it online and get it delivered in 90 minutes but when I go somewhere that you feel enveloped into the vision and the ethos. And you have people explaining the different aspects of the different products and helping you choose. And it feels like a real experience.
28:02You know, a product isn't just about the product.
28:06Melissa Morris:It's about from the moment you interact with the brand to using it the entire way through. And so the design that we think about is literally from the minute you interact with it from the first time all the way through to how it feels when you're using it and every part in between. So for me, having a store was necessary. Without a doubt, to have something that was such an innovative concept with bags that are also functional, but truly luxury and also elegant and men's and women's and new and not a heritage brand or a vitalized heritage brand was a really new idea in the luxury space. There were plenty of bag brands that were offshoots of ready-to-wear luxury brands, but not new luxury leather goods brands.
28:52Melissa Morris:And I knew how risky that was in its own sense. It really has only been about the big heritage brands. And I just was adamant that we have a store. And the great thing about not having seasons is I have no markdowns. I have no sale rack. I have no excess inventory. I have no fitting rooms. so you can have sort of this really small jewel box just off the beaten path of a prime location, which also made a lot of sense for Metier's brand identity. Design it with every ounce of passion as you would with every aspect of the brand, and the rest does its talking. And I think I've been so clear about, sure, the luxury market is huge, and a lot of big brands with big logos and a very different ethos are really successful.
29:38Melissa Morris:That for sure. But my thought was that there was this big part of the luxury market not being spoken to. And this sort of client doesn't want to be shout at. They want to discover it themselves. They don't want to walk in and you to be like on top of them. You walk into our store and you realize you're somewhere special and you don't have to scream out loud. It's not that we're quiet. I get asked about the term quiet luxury all the time. We're not quiet at all, but it's just we don't use logos or gimmicks to do the talking. We allow the quality of the design and the care and attention to the experience to say everything we want to say.
30:16I love it. How many styles did you end up launching with?
30:20Melissa Morris:Probably about seven or eight women's and then four to five men's. And then I had a range of small leather goods and then the set of packing pouches. So one pouch designed for a different item that you pack and they're all meant to stack and build together perfectly inside your bag. I was looking a lot at trunks because when I started to think, I'm like, well, when was a bag really purposeful? You know, I love the story that the original Birkin was designed because she wanted a travel bag weekender. But obviously the way we travel today has changed so much that what is a perfect weekender has changed.
30:59Melissa Morris:But before that, the trunk was really like the most perfect traveling system. You know, there's sort of a compartment for everything and each trunk design was perfectly designed for the different things that you pack. And I thought, okay, well, we don't travel by steamship anymore. I need to make this more compact. And I thought about these pouches and how to shape them in the way. And, you know, the toiletry pouches have a hidden pocket under the lid for your toothbrush or your makeup brushes or other things because otherwise that lid is unused real estate and I wanted to use it and also I didn't want my brushes or my toothbrush or whatever to get mixed in with everything else you want it separate so I was looking a lot at boat design and how they maximize space and you know really thinking about how to create something really clever but still luxurious that when you open up your travel bag everything is super organized and it's luxury.
31:53So whenever anyone makes something, they always have an idea of like, this is going to be maybe a little bit of a hit or this one might take a minute to gain steam. Of everything that you launched with, was there a style in particular that overperformed or performed in a way where like, wow, this one is clearly resonating and did it surprise you? No.
32:15Melissa Morris:And this is also very interesting as a former merchant. And still to this day, there isn't one particular bestseller because everything is designed for a unique journey and answering something. Sure, there are certain bags that sell more than others because the need is greater, but there isn't sort of this runaway success in that way. Everything sells. It is incredible. It is just based off of what people need, and then they come in, and at that point, they need a bag for work. And then you have then the stowaway, which is our little small crossbody bag that clips into all of the bags. That then clips into the private eye, which is the work bag, for example.
32:55Melissa Morris:And then you love it so much and now you need a travel bag. And well, stowaway clips into the travel bag. So you then get the travel bag. So you just sort of also build your collections based off of what you need, which I love. Our clients are incredibly loyal. And once you're in our world, you then just keep building with what you need. So there was not this huge bestseller in that way that I've ever experienced in any other brand. There was always that sort of icon piece. And there's not at Metier. It really is everything works. It just depends on what a customer needs. Talk to me a little bit about launch and marketing and how you got the word out and what worked.
33:38Patience. Now that's a luxury.
33:43Melissa Morris:Or stupidity. Right. No, it's, again, intuition and knowing how I want to be spoken to and what resonates with me and also budgets. You know, we still don't have huge marketing budgets. It really goes all into the product and the experience that the clients have with the product. But I think that worked well. But also, I know that screaming is not going to capture our customers' attention. In fact, quite the opposite. So, you know, I didn't realize what I was doing, but now looking back, I call it our marketing strategies, breadcrumbs, where we're sort of leaving little hints around the world in a subtle way and clients find them and discover them.
34:28Melissa Morris:And the word of mouth has been incredible. And it sort of created this like cult community in a way. And the word of mouth and the referrals have been incredibly powerful. And I think that only happens with an exceptional product. So that feels great. We've just had a lot of incredible support from editors, podcasters, filmmakers, costume designers, celebrity stylists, I would imagine. Yeah, really authentic support where people have wanted to help or get the word out or been proud to get the word out. I think in that way, a lot of the money can't buy opportunities have been really the story, but it's really about being patient, being authentic, not compromising the vision for a quick win ever is so important to stay true to who you are.
35:19Melissa Morris:And, you know, all the time, especially in the early days, you're being told, well, everyone's doing this with this influencer and that and blah, blah, blah. And you just have to go with your gut and decide what's right for you. Is it about intuition? Yeah. So you had mentioned directors and costume designers, and I know that your bags have been featured in a few small projects like Succession and The White Lotus. And there are some upcoming films in the works as well. Talk to me a little bit about how that came about. Did you know ahead of time? Was it a pleasant surprise? Like how has that piece of it worked?
36:00Melissa Morris:The first one was a total surprise. It was on The Undoing with Nicole Kidman. And it was during COVID. And I was watching The Undoing with my very large glass of wine, like everyone else during COVID. And all of a sudden, I was like, wait, that's a Metier bag. And then another one, another one. And then sales just were like, and then also like a month or so later, the Duchess of Cambridge, well, now the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, stepped out in them. on some of her first appearances. Then Succession, I knew because the costume designer got in touch and asked to borrow bags, same as White Lotus.
36:39Melissa Morris:Indiana Jones, I got so lucky. The costume designer, Joanna Johnston, reached out and asked if I'd ever collaborate with her. So that we did together, which was so fun. And then since she styled Metier on Robin Wright Penn in The Girlfriend and Helen Mirren in Thursday Murder Club. And then I think they'll be pretty featured in an upcoming movie by Noah Baumbach called Jake Kelly with George Clooney, which we're really excited about. And so that will be amazing. I actually was at dinner and I turned around and Noah and his wife, Greta Gerwig, were sitting there behind me at dinner. and I introduced myself and she like immediately jumped up and was like, finally the pocket, someone knows, like I don't lose my things.
37:33Melissa Morris:I was like, no, no, I wanted to gush to you about you, but it was really nice to finally get to meet them. I also want to talk about some of the collaborations that you've done because it seems like so purposeful and thoughtful and cool. So how do you know a brand or a person or a company is right to partner with? I think when, when I'm being asked to make feels interesting, whether it was creating Gucci Westman's dream makeup bag or collaborating with my friend Fernando George to create jewelry cases and then special hardware clasps or Joanna to create Indiana Jones's bag. When it feels right from a product perspective, when I feel like I'm really able to innovate and solve their problem in the best way and sort of create a bag that improves what's out there.
38:24Melissa Morris:I find it really interesting. And also, of course, the other creators themselves. So, you know, Gucci is, first of all, just like the best person ever and so fun and full of energy and has such a point of view and so inspiring in what she's done with her brand. So I think it's also very like-minded brands that also trade on quality and authenticity and a very signature identity and probably have very like-minded values, but applied with their lens and for their field. That's obviously really important to get to do. I think one of my other favorite ones was designing a lot of things for the Greenwich Hotel in New York City.
39:08I didn't know that. That's amazing. That place is heaven. Heaven. So I also love the fact that you have expanded into customization and are thinking about more bespoke offerings. What was the impetus for this? I'm assuming your customer was asking for it.
39:23Melissa Morris:No, I actually didn't expect it to have this level of reaction. We develop all of our materials or most of them with the tanneries in Italy. And I work with an incredible collection of artisans. And when I go to Italy, we just sort of riff off ideas and I look at little details and then think of new ways to do them and things take shape in their own way. And I came up with this weaving or we did, it was really a collaboration, of course. And I really wanted to use it, but it's really specialized and it's all hand done and it's using glove leather. So it's really lightweight and incredibly intricate.
40:01Melissa Morris:It's just something that can only be sort of one of a kind. And I thought a lot about the art world and how a lot of limited edition and And having something that's unique for your most loyal fans is so important. I just thought that'd be really cool to offer as something even more unique because I felt like this technique was so special. It had to get out there in the world. The reaction has been incredible. We're over capacity now with what we can take on, which is amazing. And it's also a really nice sign for our artisans who have seen the industry really erode in different ways, whether it's demand going down or quality being traded out or whatever the reasons are.
40:47Melissa Morris:And actually to show, wait a minute, no, actually the clients really value what you do. And not only that, they want the best of the best and are willing to wait four to six months for it. And we got our first ever batch this week sent to London. And the pride that everyone has from the artisans making them to the sales team that are sending them with such pride. And each one comes with its little certificate and handwritten who made it. And each one has its own metal plate inside that you can customize messages on. And I love reading the messages, like whether it's to yourself, people write such inspiring things for themselves.
41:25or if it's a gift, sweetest things.
41:28Melissa Morris:It's a really nice part of the business that I didn't expect to be something that would be so successful. I thought it would be successful from a design point of view and just continuing to challenge our level of craft and to continue to innovate. I think it just shows what clients actually want and it's not 70 % off markdown, actually. They just want something really special and are willing to wait for it. and it's a true investment. It's not something that is just flippantly ordered. It's really special. So on this podcast, we like to talk about mistakes because everyone makes them throughout the course of their career, but we don't always talk about it.
42:08We tend to give the highlight reel on Instagram of everything's great, but I think it's important to talk about mistakes, especially as women, because I think it demonstrates resiliency and we all need to hear stories of people who have made mistakes and then made it through. So I'm hoping that you can tell me a story about a time that you have made a mistake in your career and what you've learned from it.
42:31Melissa Morris:A lot of mistakes, I think. Probably the one that jumps out at me the most is not losing confidence when you're challenged or asked questions or to be more direct, being told that you're wrong or don't know or it won't work when you know it will. And I think I've always been so confident and I don't take it lightly that I've had the confidence to be able to trust my intuition. And a huge part of that comes from my upbringing and my parents teaching me, you know, you could be anything you want if you try hard and you're honest. And my dad championed females and women. And everything was just possible in the way that I grew up.
43:14Melissa Morris:And so I never had that problem that I was afraid to speak up in school or the way I was saying I would advocate ideas to bosses or other things. And it's funny that I found at times when I'm in board meetings, I shrink, actually. I get intimidated and I don't realize it. And I think it's really hard as a woman because it's very hard not to either be emotional or being cold and a bitch, you know, and how to strike that balance of, well, actually disagreeing with something or underscoring, like, I hear your point, but actually I think this. It's something I almost thought too much about, about not being seen as either emotional or cold.
44:01Melissa Morris:And I think I struggled to find my voice and I almost got so much in my head about it that I lost my confidence, which is really unusual to me. I can promise you the people on the other side of the table aren't worried about how they sound. So you're the one who's walking out the loser of the situation. So actually just be yourself. This is your area. You know, be open-minded to opinions and ideas, but don't let it shake your confidence. And ultimately, I think I've always had such a strong sense of self that I can shake it off and dust myself off and come back in. But there's no reason that any set of people should be able to intimidate you, especially when they're on your side.
44:42Melissa Morris:But I think it has been a harder balance to be a woman in that sense, in a way that I hadn't expected at all. I know exactly what you're talking about. And it was a really interesting moment the first time I realized this board is so brilliant and they all have MBAs and they all went to Ivy League schools and I am not that person, but I know my customer. I know my audience. I know content. I too know things. And this is an advisory board. It's not a dictatorial board and we can have a conversation, but it was a learning process. It is. I think that openness to self-reflection and taking a step back and seeing where can I grow?
45:24Melissa Morris:I mean, I try to do that with everything I do, but I found that threw me a lot. Yep. So a lot of the folks who listen to this podcast are in their first lives and they know that they want to do something different. It could be in the same industry. It could be changing industries entirely. As someone who has made a large pivot, still in the beautiful world of fashion, but in entrepreneurial capacity, designing a product that she had not designed before, you've successfully done this. what advice would you give someone who's standing there looking ahead seeing that they're at a jumping point but just is a little bit afraid to make that pivot or leap or move do what it takes to find the confidence whether it's going on a yoga retreat or talking to people or asking for connections to someone who can give you the advice or journaling or talking to your friends and family, whatever it is that gives you that center of gravity and that confidence to be able to follow your heart is where you should go.
46:36Melissa Morris:And I know it sounds so cliche, the words yoga retreat, I just cringed in my own self, but for me, that would be where I'd go. Yeah. But if you have this inclination, do whatever it takes to find the authentic confidence to be able to make the move. And that might not be this entirely like, you know, rom-com, I'm leaving my job and I'm, you know, it might not look like that. It might be that you start by taking night classes in the field, or I don't know, watching a masterclass about it. Like it can start in different ways, but move in that direction dip your toe maybe it is that whole you got to completely start over and move and it's great or it can be little bits but whatever it is find the confidence that you need to move in that direction because for sure it's the right way my last question it's also my favorite which is if you go back in time and give your younger self some advice what would you tell younger Melissa at any point in your career?
47:43Melissa Morris:Listen more. Really? Yeah. I mean, being intuitive, you also can be impulsive. And this goes back to my rebellious streak. My mom is like, oh my God. But you know, you're so quick to wanting to do and have the answers and you're excited and passionate and it all comes from good place. But I think it's taken more time to realize not everyone is like me. I'm not like everyone for better or for worse and all the ways, but that everyone has different ways of communicating. Some people might need a minute before jumping in. So sit back and let them because if you jump in, then they don't. And yeah, I think how to listen is an incredibly important skill that I've worked a lot on in the last several years and continue to do.
48:33Melissa Morris:I think it's an incredibly important skill. So that's what I would tell my younger self who has stopped listening to her older self and is off probably to the next location, random place she'll live. I love it. Melissa, thank you so much. This has been such a pleasure. I have been watching Metier for years and I am so enamored with everything that you have built. And I really appreciate your time. So thank you. I really appreciate the support and giving you the chance to share my story.
49:15That was the founder of Metier, Melissa Morris. For more inspiring interviews with women like Melissa, head on over to secondlifepod.com where we have so many more for you to peruse. If you like today's show, please subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review us. We love seeing you spread the word on social. And now you can tag us in your posts. We are at second life pod on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We always want to know who you're interested in hearing from on the show. So send in your requests to hello at second life pod.com, or you can DM us on Instagram.
49:56I'm at Hillary Kerr. The show is at Second Life Pod. Our DMs are always open. I'm Hilary Kerr, and you've been listening to Second Life. This episode was produced by Hilary Kerr, Summer Hammeris, and Natalie Thurman. Our production assistant is Raven Yamamoto. Our audio engineers are at Treehouse Recording in Los Angeles, California. And our music is by Jonathan Leahy.
50:27Thank you.
From the publisher
Melissa Morris is the founder of Métier, an innovative luxury handbag brand well-revered for its commitment to combining fashion and function. Before starting her own luxury brand, Morris had worked in merchandising and design for some of the biggest names in luxury, including Helmut Lang, Armani, Belstaff, and LVMH. But in all her years working for brands, she noticed a lack of bags that actually served the wearer. Métier was born from Morris’s vision for accessories that were both elegant and practical. She dreamed of a line that offered customers the perfect bag for any occasion with a seasonless and timeless aesthetic. Despite having never designed a handbag in her life, she used her degree in sculpture and her career in merchandising to engineer the bags of her dreams with her customers in mind. Métier took off after its founding in 2017, garnering a cult following, and the bags have even been spotted in award-winning Hollywood productions like Succession and The White Lotus. It’s also secured major celebrity endorsements, earning praise from stars like Nicole Kidman, who has been seen wearing them both on and off screen. Morris continues to prove her commitment to her customers today as Métier develops new bespoke options for its loyal devotees.
