{"id":85072,"date":"2025-10-30T18:53:42","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T22:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/?p=85072"},"modified":"2025-10-30T18:53:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T22:53:42","slug":"feature-artist-nina-hansen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/lifestyle\/feature-artist-nina-hansen\/","title":{"rendered":"Feature Artist:<\/strong> Nina Hansen"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Nina Hansen, artist<\/p><\/div>\n

By Gina Malone<\/p>\n

Nina Hansen\u2019s grandparents met at a handbag factory in New York, a circumstance that Hansen, who designs and creates handbags, sees now as a signpost for her own life and art. \u201cI spent countless hours in her closet, exploring her handbags, shoes, jewelry and tubes of red lipstick,\u201d she says. \u201cToday, I create bags she would have loved: classic and functional with just the right touch of flair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Nina Hansen, artist<\/p><\/div>\n

While still a young girl, Hansen created her first handbag out of a fruit basket with leather trim, and dreamed of attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, but without support from her family in choosing art as a career path, she majored in Biology and Spanish, then went on to obtain a doctorate in Chiropractic. \u201cFor many years, my focus was on caring for patients and raising a family,\u201d Hansen says.<\/p>\n

She has discovered that when life becomes challenging, she embraces art. \u201cAt the start of COVID, I sewed over 200 masks,\u201d she says. \u201cDuring Hurricane Helene, my husband rigged a generator to my sewing machine so I could keep creating. In both moments, my refuge and solace came from the possibility of bringing joy to someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Nina Hansen, artist<\/p><\/div>\n

A philosophy guides her as she creates. \u201cFor women, beauty is what we show outwardly, while strength is what we carry within,\u201d she says. \u201cA handbag should reflect both: strikingly beautiful and undeniably strong, ready to hold everything we move through life with.\u201d<\/p>\n

She draws inspiration from vintage silhouettes, rich textures, western horse tack and boho style. \u201cThe freedom of designing something beautiful, paired with the discipline of proper construction, is where I flourish,\u201d Hansen says. \u201cIt feels like placing a saddle on a wild horse\u2014harnessing creativity and structure at the same time. Every piece I design carries a part of my heart. I often imagine the woman who will one day carry it\u2014feeling that spark of joy as she picks it up and steps into the world. My hope is that each bag offers comfort and delight, a reminder that it was made with gladness, care and admiration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Nina Hansen<\/p><\/div>\n

Her grandmother, Esther, continues to be a source of inspiration. \u201cShe was everything lovely\u2014elegant, resourceful and stylish without excess,\u201d Hansen says. \u201cThese days you\u2019ll find me in my home studio\u2014coffee in hand, red lipstick on\u2014surrounded by endless possibilities. Looking ahead, I plan to focus on studying European leatherwork, refining my skills and allowing my brand to evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n

She keeps creating because she agrees with French fashion designer and businesswoman Coco Chanel that one can never have too many bags. Hansen\u2019s current collection is available at The Lucy Clark Gallery, in Brevard. \u201cNina\u2019s passion for leather was clearly evident when she presented her work to me,\u201d says gallery owner Lucy Clark. \u201cEach piece is handcrafted with an incredible attention to detail and, clearly, a voice that is all her own. Each new design that she brings is a testament to her commitment of creating beautiful art to wear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow Nina Hansen Designs on Instagram @ninahansendesigns<\/a>. Her bags are shown exclusively at The Lucy Clark Gallery, located at 51 West Main Street, Brevard. Learn more at LucyClarkGallery.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nina Hansen\u2019s grandparents met at a handbag factory in New York, a circumstance that Hansen, who designs and creates handbags, sees now as a signpost for her own life and art. \u201cI spent countless hours in her closet, exploring her handbags, shoes, jewelry and tubes of red lipstick,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":84931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[95,57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fashion","category-lifestyle"],"yoast_head":"\nFeature Artist: Nina Hansen - The Laurel of Asheville<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nina Hansen\u2019s grandparents met at a handbag factory in New York, a circumstance that Hansen, who designs and creates handbags, sees now as a signpost for her own life and art. \u201cI spent countless hours in her closet, exploring her handbags, shoes, jewelry and tubes of red lipstick,\u201d she says.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/lifestyle\/feature-artist-nina-hansen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Feature Artist: Nina Hansen - 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