Bobby Breslau

Bobby Breslau (1942/43 – January 30, 1987) was an American designer of fashion accessories. After starting out in the garment industry alongside Stephen Burrows in the 1960s, a chance commission from fashion designer Halston redirected him toward accessories and furniture, where his unstructured leather handbags were hailed by The New York Times as "the handbag of the 1970's." In the late 1960s, he was working as a graphic designer when he met fashion designer Stephen Burrows on Fire Island in New York. After the O Boutique closed in 1970, Breslau managed Stephen Burrows World, an in-store boutique at the luxury department store Henri Bendel in Manhattan. Fashion model Pat Cleveland, who was a fitting model for Burrows at Bendel's studio recalled, "Bobby was tiny, animated, and enthusiastic about almost everything Stephen did."

Handbag design and fashion career In the early 1970s, Breslau began making bags when Halston asked him to make a fringed toy and some fringed pillows. Breslau studied the construction of a baseball and emulated the stitching while sewing a fringed leather pillow.

Breslau handmade each handbag in his East Village apartment until 1976. He gave the first to his friend, jewelry designer Elsa Peretti, whom he described as his inspiration, Their jaunty, youthful quality complemented Halston's spare designs and drew significant attention from fashion professionals. Following this exposure, Breslau's bags were sold at Halston's Madison Avenue boutique. The design featured slender straps that could be worn over the shoulder or at the waist. It was made in various colors and size options so that it could be "everything from a little evening bag to a jumbo weekender."

Breslau's designs appeared in Women's Wear Daily and Vogue. In 1979, Breslau licensed two pattern designs to Vogue for his "Big Pouch" and "Little Pouch." His Vogue Patterns provided sewers with directions to make both handbags in three sizes. Haring respected Breslau's craftsmanship and looked to him for guidance, calling him his "Jewish mother." The leather "baby" pillow that Breslau made for Haring was the protype for the "inflatable baby" sold at the shop.