Scaling Handbag Manufacturing: Live Q&A with Nicole Levy

​Have questions about leather sourcing, tech packs, factory minimums, sampling, or whether you should manufacture domestically or nearshore?

​Join Nearshore for a live Q&A with Nicole Levy, owner and Director of Operations at Baikal, a vetted Nearshore manufacturing partner and second-generation leather goods factory based in Manhattan’s Garment District.

​Nicole has spent more than 22 years working across every part of the factory, helping brands and designers turn early ideas into production-ready leather goods.

​Bring your real production questions, sourcing challenges, and factory hurdles, and get practical answers directly from a vetted manufacturer.

​What You Can Ask About

​Domestic vs. Nearshore vs. Offshore
How to evaluate your manufacturing options based on cost, quality, speed, lead times, and order volume.

​Working With a Factory
What manufacturers actually want to see from brands, how to prepare a better tech pack, and mistakes that can derail sampling.

​MOQs & Small-Batch Production
How to start small—including runs starting around 30 pieces—and scale production without overextending your budget.

​Leather & Materials
Understanding leather grades, sourcing hardware, construction, and the material decisions that impact quality and cost.

​Sampling & Product Development
What happens between a sketch and a finished sample, and how brands can make development more efficient.

​Technology Meets Craftsmanship
How traditional leather craftsmanship is being combined with modern production technology, including laser cutting.

​Ask Nicole Anything
Have a question about your product, factory search, or production process? Ask it live and get an answer straight from the factory floor.