Today we’d like to introduce you to Samuel Koza.
Samuel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The story of Moda Endrizzi is both one of a personal passion but also a silver lining, buy-product of the pandemic. We have COVID-19 to thank for giving us the extra push to make this dream come true. Endrizzi is a luxury leather handbag company. We are less than one year old. My wife, Jessica Mae, and I founded the company alongside our partner Nancy Stolz who resides in Reno, Nevada.
Jessica Mae and I also founded WarPaint International; an on-site hair and makeup beauty agency that facilitates hundreds of weddings, corporate events, editorial shoots and other beauty related client projects per year in Minneapolis, New York City, Chicago and now Jacksonville, Florida. Like Moda Endrizzi, WPI Beauty is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and we operate our companies from our home office.
Jessica and I met nearly 13 years ago. At that time, we were both very interested in the world of fashion. We lived downtown Minneapolis and attended all of the fashion-related events in Minneapolis and during Minnesota fashion week. We became regular fixtures at many venues and events and continued to build our relationships, our love for fashion, modeling and trend development. We were in the infancy stages of building our beauty agency at the time because Jessica was a freelance Makeup Artist.
I had built some relationships in Italy with the manufacturing sector and at the time, my interest was in denim with a different business partner relationship that did not come to fruition. So I hung onto my contacts for a rainy day. A decade later, our beauty business is bustling but the pandemic comes knocking at our door. We now own an intimate services company that can not deliver services. We experience several months of zero revenue and during that time of stress, we decided to simply live in the moment of what we could not control. That moment involved time… time to think, time to talk and reconnect as a husband and wife team, time to discuss our goals and passions. Time to dream again and put our thoughts on paper. We cooked and tried new recipes, we yelled answers at the tv watching wheel of fortune every night and had quality time like never before.
During this, we realized that we needed an e-commerce product that can grow online sales and not be dependent on human service providers that can be instantly affected by a global or national health issue. So we dove back into our love of fashion and began concepting ideas. Moda Endrizzi was born in the middle of the pandemic lock down, our initial samples were handmade in Florence Italy in early 2021.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It certainly has not been a smooth road. Like any small business, we’ve had to figure things out from the ground level. Manufacturing goods requires education, patience, resources and a good attitude. Though we’ve built a great relationship in Italy with our manufacturer, the obstacles present themselves almost daily. The pandemic continues to be a problem, specifically the most recent variant as it reduced the workforce in the manufacturing plants by nearly 60%
There are multiple layers to producing a luxury leather good. We work with a consultant in Florence, so the design process and production process for us here in the United States is not overwhelming. But due to supply chain issues, the processing of Florentine leather, hardware manufacturing, and the physical cutting of materials, many handbag manufacturers in Italy are simply running behind. We are still fulfilling backorders from a few months ago. Im happy to say those bags are now shipping to the U.S.
Larger luxury brands will also take precedence over our small brand at this point so we move further down the production line when a volume order comes in from a major fashion house. That being said, the Louis Vuittons and Jean Paul Gaultiers of the world also are facing these same challenges. Our handbags are made by the same leather craftsman.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Moda Endrizzi?
Moda Endrizzi is a luxury leather handbag company. We are founded by 3 owners.
Samuel & Jessica Mae Koza – We are a husband and wife team. We own a group of businesses under the name Koza Enterprises. They include Raging Bull Digital, WarPaint International Beauty Agency, and Moda Endrizzi. We live in and operate our business in the western suburbs of Minneapolis.
Nancy Stoltz is co-founder of the company and lives in Reno, Nevada. Nancy has a background in textiles, design, and corporate event planning. Nancy works closely with the brand for trend research and development, handbag design and is pioneering home handbag parties in the Reno area.
The three owners met each other (along with Nancy’s husband Dane) just over 5 years ago in Napa Valley at a cute little bed and breakfast in Calistoga. Their combined love for fashion, accessories and continued friendship has led them to this new venture together.
The name of our company “Endrizzi” stems from Sam’s mother’s family. My great grandparents, Guido & Constantina Endrizzi, are the inspiration for our brand name. They immigrated into the United States from North Eastern Trentino, Italy in the early 1900s. Sam is a 3rd generation American Italian on his mother’s side. Sam, Jessica, and Nancy are very proud to bring this family heritage into their brand and to offer high quality, leather Italian goods nationally.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Own an Endrizzi handbag. We’re proud to offer them and would love your support by purchasing one of our products. We’d love to see your social media shares of all the ways you wear your Endrizzi.
Pricing:
- Dolcetto Crossbody Bag $295
- Vivace Crossbody Hybrid $269
- Ragazza Hobo Bag $379
- Jessica Mae Tote Bag $349
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@modaendrizzi.com
- Website: https://www.modaendrizzi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseofendrizzi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modaendrizzi
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/modaendrizzi
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOTayBklWWiulhdqE-218rQ
Image Credits
Paolo Catucci
Jessica Mae
Jeannine Marie (Block Portrait Studios)
