Marnie Jane Cooper, designer for Marnie Bugs and Jane Cooper has always been a step ahead of the trends. She was Born into a family rich with creative energy and entrepreneurial spirit she has been working to spread happiness one accessory at a time as an independent American designer since 1999. Her design ethos centers on timeless quality, versatility, and comfort, and Made in the USA.

 

Marnie's lifelong passion for personal style began during a revolution in hair care in the '80s, with her parents’ Nexxus Hair Care distribution company. Marnie attended O’Farrell School for the Creative and Performing Arts in San Diego and then went on to College at Mira Costa College where she studied Fine Art, Film, Philosophy, and Political Science. After college she moved to Austin, Texas, to excel in the beauty industry, becoming a highly sought-after independent manufacturer's rep. Her first production design was born out of a need for something unique and easy to carry mini shampoo samples to a fashion event. When she finished this bag, made out of vintage fabric, she used a ribbon with a ladybug for the label; when people asked about the bag, she said it was a “Marnie Bug”. It was after this fashion event that she started producing a collection of Marnie Bugs for her salon partners and boutiques in Austin.

 

After local success in 2005 with her wildly popular “Lila” bag designed to carry her mini- Ma l t e s e with her shopping, Marnie designed more silhouettes to create her first handbag collection featuring beautiful hand-selected Italian leather, hand-dyed cotton liners, and solid brass hardware. She then took the Marnie Bugs Classic Collection national by presenting the bags at shows in New York City, Dallas, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, and by traveling to see her customers all across the USA.

 

Marnie has always been very hands-on with every aspect of her business. Whether it is designing products, manufacturing, marketing, or customer service, she feels it’s important to understand all facets of the design-to-market process. Her inspiration comes from a love of nature, art, and history. Her mother is a talented artist who encouraged her to find humor, to be curious, and to look for goodness and beauty along the road of life. Marnie believes in the conservation of materials and incorporates “waste” into small leather jewelry and functional accessories like the dog leash strap attachment. Marnie’s motto is “strive for zero-waste in production”