Dr. Macrene Alexiades MD, PhD was among the first to join our Friends of the CFDA program – which makes perfect sense. Fashion, in her own words, is her “first love” and a personal passion for the dual board-certified dermatologist and scientist, who takes an artistic approach to everything she touches, from her practice to the Macrene Actives line which takes a revolutionary approach to skincare.

Now, she’s adding fashion to her resume with a collection of handbags: a weekender and a clutch made by hand with combed wool sourced from a small village in Germany.

We caught up with Dr. Alexiades about the new handbags, the inspiration behind them and what she carries in her bags.

What inspired you to create the totes?

Fashion is my first love — it’s in my DNA. My mother was a fashion designer who set aside her career to raise her children, and I grew up immersed in art, style, and creativity. I was equally gifted in math and science, and my parents steered me toward medicine rather than the path of a struggling artist. I followed that calling wholeheartedly, but fashion never left me. As one of the founding members of the Friends of the CFDA, I have always kept that passion alive — and these totes mark my first fashion launch, a full-circle moment I have long looked forward to.

The spark for these totes came years ago on a ski trip in Lech, Austria. I spotted a handmade tote carried by a local villager and was immediately captivated. I tracked him down — and to my delight, he was willing to create custom pieces to my exact specifications. From there, the vision came naturally. The weekender fulfills a genuine need: it’s capacious enough to carry your handbag inside as you board a plane, your laptop lays perfectly flat along the base, and it is effortlessly chic. The clutch is equally purposeful — it functions as a cosmetic bag in a material I find far superior to plastic, vinyl, canvas, or leather, and transforms seamlessly into an elegant evening clutch. Both pieces are handcrafted from combed wool sourced from a small village in Germany. This is not mass production — it is artisanal, intentional design.

How did you decide on the design?

I have a natural instinct for style — I always have. I fell in love with the texture and richness of the natural wool immediately. I envisioned a clean, boxy structure that would allow for effortless access to the contents within. Function was paramount to me. I needed this to be a bag I would reach for constantly, one that would work across many outfits, many occasions, many contexts. And I was deeply committed to sourcing brushed wool from a small artisan village rather than going the route of mass manufacturing. The outcome exceeded even my own expectations, and I am truly thrilled to be sharing these with a carefully curated group of clients.