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Her Idea Of Perfection Is In The Bag

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By ANGELA DELGADO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 30, 2007

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - Liz Messineo was on a mission to find a purse that would stay organized.

In the '80s she loved the jewelry box purse. In the '90s, it was all about the cigar box purse. They were structured bags, but just passing fads. Messineo wanted something classic, lasting: a purse women would want to keep forever.

Her only solution was to make it herself, and so her wood-and-leather purses were born.
Messineo will be displaying and selling her Ricardo Luccia creations Saturday, during the second annual Berean Academy Boutique. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon and takes place at the University Church of God, 10948 N. Central Ave.

Although she has been drawing up various concepts since the '80s, Messineo didn't come up with a prototype for her purses until 2002.

"It's like when you have a book in your head, but you don't actually write it down," she said.

Things started falling into place, though, when Messineo met future partner Ricardo Soto, who was designing square box purses. She shared her vision, and he introduced her to Claudia Vargas, who lives in Colombia and works with wood.

With Vargas and Soto, Messineo's dream was under way. Two and a half years ago, Messineo developed a factory in Vargas' mother's basement and Vargas, along with a small crew, has been producing 20 to 40 purses a week.

The purses, made of pine and cow leather, are deceivingly lightweight and flexible. The trick is that pine is a light wood, and the wood is placed on the leather to make it workable and user friendly. The bags go for $200 to $250.

"You pick them up, and it's like a little file box; everything is in its place," she said.

Messineo's bags carry the Ricardo Luccia name - Ricardo after Soto and Luccia after Messineo's middle name. The 16 available models carry names of women close to her heart. The first purse she designed is named Claudia.

Soon, Messineo plans to meet with Nordstrom executives and show them her bags. Her goal is to sell her bags there or at Macy's. She is convinced the upcoming years are going to be her most successful; working on her own, she has sold $9,000 to $15,000 worth of bags a year.

Her customers have been friends, fellow churchgoers, and people who stop her on the street. She also has a Web site, www.ricardohandbag .com.

"My purses come with a warning because you will be stopped," Messineo said.

Messineo's motivation to make her purses a hit isn't about making millions for herself but so she can fulfill her dream of opening an orphanage in Italy. Because she struggled to conceive her son, Messineo said she can relate to the people who long to have a child in their lives.

"I have a heart for children and families that want children," she said.

She plans to call her future nonprofit venture Whitestone Ministries. The organization will help families with the funding it takes to adopt a child.

Although Messineo's mission has long been to find a purse that would stay organized, her life goal is to help unite children with loving families.

"You have to keep on with your dream, no matter what people say," she said. "When you have a dream, people aren't going to jump on the bandwagon with you. You have to keep visiting your dream and living in the present.

"It's the only way you can make it."

Reporter Angela Delgado can be reached at (813) 865-1501 or adelgado@tampatrib.com.

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