Albany Designer and Handbag Manufacturer Makes First appearance at NY Fashion Week
April 15, 2025
It was a major milestone for Karen Kema Maxwell, better known as Kema of Kema’s Kreations. Several weeks ago, she was putting the finishing touches on her high-fashion purses, duffel bags and handbags set to debut at Runway 7’s NY Fashion Week (NYFW) production on February 9.
“It was just an honor to be asked, this is my dream,” said Maxwell after thinking about receiving the call from representatives of NYFW event producer Runway 7 following up on an Instagram post.
Maxwell said her Fashion Week debut almost didn’t happen as she initially hadn’t responded after reviewing the costs associated with participating in the event, but fortunately Her Runway 7 show was made possible with support from the Carl E. Touhey Foundation.
After submitting her funded proposal, Maxwell had the opportunity to meet with Charles Touhey who gave her a piece of his late wife’s jewelry in support of her runway show which she incorporated into one of her pieces. He and his wife, renowned civil rights activist Dr. Alice Green had established the Carl E. Touhey Foundation together, named after Charles’ father.
“I put her jewelry on the runway with me, one of my models’ bags had her actual cosmetic jewelry used in the bag,” she explained. “so, he funded my New York Fashion Week and I made sure to pay it forward.”
Maxwell’s NYFW show, titled Nature: Wood and Waterways, initially was planned to feature just five bags, but she ended up extending the collection to 10 due to the significant interest following her show’s announcement.
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The bags in her collection featured shades of blue as well as wood incorporated into components of her bags’ visual lines such as the handles to represent water and nature. Originally from Panama, Maxwell explained her runway show reflected on her journey in making it to NYFW.
“The first thing you see in the video (playing behind her models) is the map of my country, so when I left Panama I was raised in Brooklyn so then you see the Brooklyn Bridge, and then where I was in the moment — which was Manhattan so then you see the Manhattan Bridge and the skyline of New York City.”
Since her show in early February Maxwell is seeing an incredible amount of attention through social media and has received several requests by fashion houses to feature her bags, including two located in Los Angeles which she had to turn down because of March submission deadlines being too soon. she said Runway 7 has been impressed by the attention her show has received since the event and is encouraging her to come back for the next NYFW event this September.
“Usually, runway shows are all about clothing, I did not envision or imagine my bags would be getting the attention that they’re getting, that my brand would be out there the way it is right now.”
NYFW is one of the most well-known events in the global fashion calendar, held semi-annually to showcase the latest trends and designs from both established and emerging talent. Known for its vibrant energy and innovative spirit, NYFW Runway 7 sets the stage for the upcoming season’s style. Throughout the week events take place at Spring Studios in Lower Manhattan, fashion shows and experiences can also be found in neighborhoods like Soho and Tribeca, adding to the dynamic city-wide atmosphere.
Based at Albany’s Central Avenue STEAM Garden incubator and formerly in the Community Loan Fund’s Albany Center for Economic Success (ACES), Maxwell is an Afro-Latina business owner. Kema’s Kreations LLC is an MWBE-certified fashion handbag manufacturing company, Maxwell specializes in creating bespoke bags that stand out in the marketplace, aiming to blend cultural heritage with modern styles. Her work appeals to high-fashion enthusiasts that enjoy culturally inspired designs. In addition to bags, she also makes coin purses, wallets and earrings.
Her NYFW lineup took more than 100 hours of work as each bag can take 10 to 15 hours to complete. She explained making the deadline was a challenge due to timing constraints as she works during the day as the Director of BIPOC Business Growth at the Capital Region Chamber.
“I’m a one-woman army,” she said. “Because of the wood aspect to my bags, even though they’re cut by laser I still have to do a significant amount of handwork, I’m literally cutting raw wood down to what you guys see…sanding can take up to an hour alone.”,
Maxwell’s designs often incorporate natural materials like wood and leather, she has honed her design and craftsmanship skills over decades. Her work is well known from industry-events like Harlem Fashion Week and has been featured on the popular television show “General Hospital.”
She uses a Glowforge laser cutter and its accompanying software to make her pieces. Glowforge’s lasers precisely cut, engrave, and score hundreds of different materials.
Maxwell had started working with the laser cutter and incorporating wood into her work just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the pandemic her original Glowforge had fallen out of warranty and was having issues. The laser cutter can cost several thousand dollars depending on the model and she needed a way to purchase a new one without creating significant challenges for her business.
she was able to purchase a replacement with the support of Capitalize Albany Corporation’s Building Improvement Grant Program which was made possible through the City of Albany’s American Rescue Plan Act funding process.
Due to the success and positive feedback she’s seeing after her first NYFW experience, Maxwell said she is strongly considering and is planning to prepare a new lineup for the NYFW Sept. semi-annual event.
“I’m literally living my dream right now, I never thought that I would be seeing my brand across the world, and that’s what New York Fashion Week did for me,” said Maxwell. “I see myself representing the city that I live in on a larger platform.”
Learn more about Kema’s Kreations and shop Kema at https://shopkema.com/.
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