Lincoln Val, the American accessories house where exotic meets simple elegance, was founded by handbag designer Sheila Griffin, Armed with a degree in interior architecture, Griffin began sketching handbags as a pastime, tucking them away as a collection of drawings. Once the “collection” of pencil drawings numbered into the hundreds, she realized that her passion for designing handbags was turning into more than just a pastime, and launched the accessories design firm bringing a fresh, new original style of simple elegance combined with exotic, exquisite materials, and impeccable craftsmanship, to fruition.

The company’s symbol, a delicate and exotic species of the swallowtail butterfly, exemplifies the philosophy of beauty as self-defined, independent, and unique. “Today’s woman carries a soul of individuality defined only by herself, and I want each bag to complement this spirit,” says Griffin. “Our bags are designed with our customers always as the focal point, and we pay attention to every aspect of our craft, from design, to function, and to quality.”

For Lincoln Val, function and organization share equal status with aesthetics.Griffin channels her expertise in spacial organization into the interior architecture of each handbag, with features such as cell phone holders and PDA pockets incorporated into the design.

Philanthropy also plays an important role in the Lincoln Val company. Touched by the atrocities of humanity within our global community, the company takes an active role in causes of aid to relieve conditions where abuse, violence, and health disparities exist In this endeavor, the company has pledged to continually have one collection manufactured in Africa. “It’s our way to have a role in helping economic conditions improve. Lincoln Val is all about enhancing the lives of people through our products,” says Griffin. “If we can touch and somehow impact the life of an individual, we’ve done a good thing.”