The year was 1998 when Richard Lambertson and John Truex launched their accessories brand Lambertson Truex. Each came to the table with a bona fide resume that reinforced their American luxury perspective. At the time, Lambertson was Senior Vice President and Creative Director at Bergdorf Goodman with prior experience at Gucci, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York. Truex, meanwhile, was Director of Design for ck Calvin Klein and, before that, Carlos Falchi, both important accessories brands.

Together, they set out to create the first true American luxury accessories brand. At the time, most ready-to-wear designers didn’t also have leather goods in their assortment, and brands like Dior and Gucci were going mad for logos.

“We saw an opening for clean and modern designs that were really respectful,” Truex recalled. “It was about the leather and the shape, with minimal logo.”

Lambertson added, “We opened with a very subtle collection that was about design for function.”

The collection’s sensibility reflected that of the designers themselves. It was calm and elegant, featuring such functional elements as cell phone pockets, sewn-in key fobs, and attached mini-wallets.

With their launch, Lambertson and Truex set the bar high for other Americans who were looking to break into the burgeoning leather goods scene. In 2000, Lambertson Truex received the CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year and the ACE awards.

After partnering with Samsonite, Tiffany & Co. acquired the brand, and the duo took charge of the Tiffany Leather Collection. Following Tiffany, they worked their magic at Shinola. While at the Detroit brand, they learned that the Lambertson Truex trademark was challenged in parts of the Far East, which encouraged them to revisit the brand’s web site as a form of protection.

“As we did that, we thought it felt right again, so we decided to make this our priority,” Truex explained. “Times are different, and going through Instagram, I was seeing all these posts by younger women who were discovering Lambertson Truex. There was this whole new additional interest in the brand, which motivated us as well.”

And so, out of the design studio in Sharon, Connecticut, they worked on the new Lambertson Truex collection with designs for women and men. In no time, they were approached by fans, both old and new. Lambertson is also a proprietor of Privet House, a “Home Goods, Antiques, and Curiosities” shop in New Preston in Litchfield County, and an adjacent space became a pop-up shop for the collection.

The philosophy is the same it was when the designers first launched, though they are adjusting to the times. For example, interior pockets once fitted for flip phones are now designed for smartphones.

The line is available on the brand’s website while the two explore options to expand.

“Our goal is to have a healthy business,” Truex said. “In 1998, when we started, it was out of our loft. Now, the relaunch is out of a small design studio in Sharon. It’s almost full-circle.”

Added Lambertson, “It’s not about how many customers you have, but how good the customers you have are.”

In other words, we’re talking quality – which is exactly what Lambertson Truex is about.