East Hampton Native's Handbag Design Nominated for National Award

Monica Valentine Frisbie, an East Hampton native, needs the community's help to win the Audience Fan Favorite Award at the 2013 Independent Handbag Designer Awards.

Frisbie, who lives in Lima, Peru, with her husband, Matt, and their daughter, Tillie, said the awards are like the Oscars of handbags. Nominated in the Most Socially Responsible Category, it was selected from over 1,000 applicants worldwide.

"While this alone is amazing it would be even more amazing if we won," she said by email.

Frisbie believes in creating high fashion in a socially responsible way, and it is the focus of her handbag line, Mondrina. Another bag from the line, the Chandra, was featured on Tim Gunn's pick for the perfect summer bag on ABC's "Revolution" and in Vogue magazine.

The bag up for the award — the "Felicia," a hand beaded envelope clutch, made of seed beads, which retails for $265 — was the first beaded bag she made for the line inspired from an old shaman necklace. It took two years, she said, to find artisans who would take on the project.

All of the bags in the line are bench-made by indigenous Peruvian women, mixing modern design with their techniques. "Felicia" is part of a project working directly with a tribal community in the Peruvian amazon, who are supported by a Peruvian organization of Flora Tristan.

As part of the nominating process, Frisbie explained that she has always been drawn to Peru. "I remember doing a project in sixth grade about the Incas. I was fascinated by how each textile and weaving told a story and held a history. It gave meaning and depth to fashion to me. I would like to help preserve and retranslate these methods through my own designs," she said.

Frisbie founded Mondrina with her husband in 2011, but their connection with Peru goes much further back. Matt Frisbie first visited in 2002 on a surf trip, and relocated there. He began working with small family run factories making tee shirts for friends, then eventually took a position sourcing and managing productions for some top fashion labels.

Monica Frisbie graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology, studying accessories design. Her senior thesis collection was featured on the Macy's Jumbotron in Herald square and her barrel shaped bag won the award of best overall handbag design out of her class presented and chosen by Kate Spade NY.

Childhood sweethearts, Monica and Matt reunited in the summer of 2006, and Monica moved to Peru. They share their time between Lima and Sag Harbor.

Voting is open online until May 29. Frisbie will attend a ceremony at the School of Visual Arts in New York City on June 19, where they will announce the winners.

To vote for Frisbie's bag, click here.