Charmaine Ho, slight and energetic as can be, loves to talk, but her speech quickens and her voice reaches a higher register when discussing her favorite thing: her Me Char handbag line. While studying fashion merchandising at the Parsons School of Design, Ho entered a competition for emerging handbag designers and won first place, earning her a spot in Cosmo Girl! Magazine.

“A great handbag is an accessory that I’ve always looked to for self-expression. And since I was a kid, I’ve always admired the structure and ‘silhouette’ of bags,” reflects Ho.

Taking her contest win as a sign from the gods, Ho put her Parsons skills to use and dug deep into her East meets West background for inspiration to create an array of leather clutches perfect for day or night wear.

“I was born in Hong Kong, but raised in Macau for the first ten years, so I was influenced by the Southern European, romantic lifestyle of Portuguese-mixed-Chinese culture,” explains Ho. “I studied abroad in Canada and later in Italy, where I formed my love for fine arts and high fashion.”

With a contemporary design approach and a youthful flair, Ho’s clutches speak to the stylish and bold—the new crop of Sex and The City girls in the making, if you will.