The Why

At its heart, LIAVELLA is about empowerment. One of my deepest goals in life has always been to empower women, and this brand is the first step toward fulfilling that purpose on a wider scale.

Equally, balance is the value I return to again and again. Balance in life, balance in work, balance in design. LIAVELLA exists to help women own less, live more, and move through the world with intention and ease.

The Starting Point: A Search for Balance

In today’s world of overconsumption, excess, and constant demands, many of us, especially women, are seeking more balance. We juggle multiple roles every day, and yet so often our most basic essentials, like the bags we carry, work against us rather than supporting us.

I know this first-hand. I’m Lia McBride, a corporate executive and  entrepreneur. Born and raised in Edinburgh with Italian and Irish roots, I spent more than a decade working in London and Silicon Valleys tech industry before founding LIAVELLA in 2022.

After years of chronic back pain, spine surgery in 2020, and hip surgery in 2021, I finally saw how small daily choices, like carrying impractical bags, were adding strain to my body and imbalance to my life. When I looked for a handbag that could keep up with me, professional, stylish, travel-ready, and supportive, I couldn’t find one. Instead, I ended up with an overflowing wardrobe of single-purpose bags.

Those years and years of frustration became a turning point.

The How: Building LIAVELLA: Empowerment by Design

After a layoff towards the end of Covid, I decided it was time to take back control and empower myself. I made the leap into an entirely new industry, one that would let me not only change the course of my own life but also help other women along the way. I firmly believe that each of us is only ever one decision away from a completely different life - and I embraced that belief wholeheartedly.

I partnered with designers in Spain, hardware experts in Italy, a production lead from Kate Spade’s NYC alum, and sought consultation with designers with experience at Alexander McQueen and Gucci. I spoke to over 100 professional women about their needs, listened closely, and refined prototypes for three years until I was certain we’d created something different.

The result is a design-protected, intelligent handbag system that empowers women to move with more freedom and balance. From the 8-way multi-anchor system to the Pillar of Strength clip, every detail is there to support, not weigh down, your day. These features are more than clever: they’re empowering. They let you switch roles seamlessly, carry with confidence, and refuse to sacrifice beauty for practicality.

A Symbol of Strength

The Pillar of Strength clip has a special place in my heart. It came from my very first sketch and remains a signature element in every LIAVELLA bag. Functionally, it secures essentials like sunglasses or a hat. Symbolically, it’s a daily reminder of resilience and confidence, a message to carry your strength with you wherever you go.

What LIAVELLA Stands For

• Empowering Women: LIAVELLA designs with women in mind, bags that move with you, simplify your routine, and give you confidence every step of the way.
• Balance at the Core: Every design supports balance, whether that’s distributing weight more evenly, reducing clutter, or creating more harmony in daily life.
• Timeless Versatility: Multifunctional staples that transcend seasons, transition effortlessly, and let you do more with less.
• Conscious Consumption: High-quality, long-lasting designs that encourage mindful choices and reduce the need for endless purchases.

A Dedication to Women

I dedicate LIAVELLA to all the women I’ve been inspired by: those who balance careers and families, those who move through the world with resilience and grace, and those who are redefining what it means to live fully and beautifully.

I see you. I support you. And I created LIAVELLA to celebrate everything you are.

Lia McBride
@liavellafounder