Sarah Jessica Parker Hand-Picked This Year's Most Innovative Handbag

According to Sarah Jessica Parker, the next big accessories designer isn't in Paris, New York, or Milan, but on Etsy. Her name is Maria Gabriela Duque and her cactus leather convertible Emma Bag just won the 2023 Etsy Design Award Grand Prize. Choosing a single piece from thousands of entries was no small feat, but in a sea of artisanal accessories, Duque's bag stood out to Parker.

"I tend to move toward vintage, which is why someone like Maria is exciting," she exclusively tells InStyle. "The design is innovative. It doesn't look like other things."

Parker, a.k.a. Carrie Bradshaw herself, knows a thing or two about a gorgeous handbag. Duque's piece — which can be worn as a belt, crossbody, or top-handle bag — hit every box on her personal accessories checklist. "A sense of timelessness, that feeling of a long-term presence, is really important to me," she says. "Color is a great seducer for me, but I like to see it be used in a really thoughtful way." Parker also added that she doesn't like to see "a lot of stuff" on bags. "Maria's bag is really clean. She brings in color, but it's really, really thoughtful. I think that's really impressive."

As a former electrical engineer turned independent fashion designer, Duque blends technical prowess with creative vision and sustainability. According to Parker, it was this unique approach that helped Duque cinch the $25,000 Grand Prize.

"The technical parts that make a bag functional are super important. Anybody that's moving from engineering to become a self-taught designer [will understand] creating shape, size, and volume," she says. "But to have such a creative part of her artistry be so evident, the two aren't necessarily compatible. She does every single thing herself, which is a huge undertaking. The way she works, what's important to her, the tenants of sustainability — it's compelling."

Etsy Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson, who judged this year's Etsy Design Awards alongside Parker, agrees wholeheartedly. "What I love most about this bag is how versatile it is," she tells InStyle. "From wearing it with the chain as a crossbody for a night out, converting it into a belt bag to dress up your jeans, or even just wearing it on your wrist, this bag has endless options."

Like Parker, Johnson also appreciated that sustainability was front of mind for Duque. "Vegan leather is undoubtedly the direction fashion is moving into [and] what I appreciate so much about Maria Gabriela Duque's approach to her work is she’s ensuring her customers understand the entire lifecycle of her pieces, which is a trend that never goes out of style."

Throughout her education and career in engineering, fashion has never been far from Duque's mind. As a teenager, she enlisted her mother's help to design a bag that could carry her books while still looking chic. "I didn't like regular backpacks," she recalls. "I decided to try making one with the help of my mom, who taught me how to use the sewing machine." Fast-forward to today and Duque is still making functional, beautiful pieces by hand.

In the case of the Emma Bag, Duque wanted to create something unconventional. "I found an old wooden bracelet of mine that was a key element to unleash the design," she says. Other important elements included sustainable materials and visual references to the natural world.

Duque was able to purchase just a few yards of cactus leather in a shade of green that met her requirements, but still wasn't quite satisfied. "I felt [the green] wasn't enough so I added the silhouette of the leaves. It was one of the things that took the longest to define," she shares. Even so, it only took two prototypes, constructed in about a week, before Duque had the final Emma Bag in her hands.

Even after submitting to the Etsy Design Awards, Duque says she "never imagined" she would win. "I had lost hope [in] my shop. Being an immigrant, a single mother, and a small business owner has not been easy," the designer says.

The plight of small business owners who not only market and sell, but handcraft their goods by hand, is something the Etsy Design Award seeks to alleviate by highlighting the best that Etsy's artisans have to offer. The strength of these creators was something that resonated with Parker.

"As a business owner, it's just really hard. It's really hard every single day and I have a decent amount of infrastructure," she says. "I was so impressed at how many talented people are creating businesses on their own. One of the best parts of this whole experience was discovering unique and talented, innovative people creating businesses that are singular and inspired."

You can shop Duque's Emma Bag and the rest of the 2023 Etsy Design Award winners and finalists on etsy,com and Etsy app starting Monday, July 31.