They range in age from 30-something to 40-something, each with their own personal style and flair. One is happily stuck in time, one is often ahead of her time, and one seems to be right on time.

The baby of the bunch, Kelly Desseckler, much like her MARTINII line of custom-made handbags, is truly one-of-a-kind. With her oldfashioned kerchief, made to look new-school chic, her perfectly applied red matte lipstick (which remains that way even while sipping on a soy iced latte), and her tea-length vintage summer dress, she bears a strong resemblance to Lucy Ricardo — if Lucy had an armful of colorful kitty kat tats, a maroon cellophane rinse, and five hoop earrings going up her left ear.

Looking every inch a ‘50s pin-up girl, albeit with a punk rock bent, it’s not surprising to learn that her first handbag was inspired by an original pin-up diva. “It had a rectangle front and back, sewn to a rectangle bottom, with rectangle sides, and two straps,” she confesses. The shape was basic, but the overall design was anything but. The bag was a colorful mix of jungle and Hawaiian printed fabrics accented with Bettie Page’s iconic photo. “I hate the idea of carrying a purse that someone else might own, let alone thousands of women,” she says.

It is with this mindset that Desseckler started Martinii Bags, determined to leave her stamp on the world — one uniquely made handbag at a time. “Every purse is designed to reflect the owner’s personality or their not-so-secret obsessions. I’ve designed a Denver Broncos purse, a Harry Potter computer bag — I even made a purse out of an old Journey t-shirt that someone no longer wore but couldn’t bear to give away.”

The strict vegan named the company after her cat, and continues the tradition by naming all of her designs after pets, be they her own or the pet of the owner who inspired them.

Desseckler’s designs, whether hand, messenger, tote or makeup bags, all have a retro feel, and most are made out of vintage or recycled materials. “I just love anything from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s.” She spends a great deal of time scouring Goodwill stores, estate sales, and friends’ closets for t-shirts, tablecloths, pea coats, decorative buttons, and even old purses, to take apart and create something new. “I grew up recycling even before it was the cool thing to do. I’m very proud of the fact that my designs are eco-friendly, yet totally fashionable.”

Born at Long Beach Memorial Hospital some thirty-odd years ago, Kelly has never strayed too far from home. She currently attends LBCC getting a degree in fashion, while also working as a critical care veterinary technician. Surrounded by acutely sick animals all day, every day, can sap one’s spirit, compelling Desseckler to find something outside of work to bring her joy. “My first bag was made just for me; then a co-worker asked me one day how much I would charge to make one for his girlfriend. And before I knew it, Martinii Bags were born.” That was six years ago, and since then, the bags have become more intricate and her sewing skills more keen. “I make sure everything — including the lining — has no loose threads or exposed raw edges of fabric. Martinii Bags are pretty inside and out.”

Content, for now, with her current online only business (martiniibags. com), Desseckler dreams of the day when she can open up a small boutique — maybe on Fourth Street, or in Belmont Shore, bringing her one step closer to ensuring that every woman has at least one Martinii.

If Aurelie Vanderhoek had emigrated from Paris to L.A. to become a movie star, well, that would’ve made perfect sense. Instead, shortly after graduating from a prestigious Parisian design school, this French native came to the States to work in fashion. Gutsy move — especially considering that her visa only allowed her to work as an au pair. “I came here with very little money, no friends, no family, and I wound up working for a precocious three-year old in Palmdale of all places,” Vanderhoek exclaims.

A few years and a few host families later, armed with a green card and her portfolio, Vanderhoek waved au revoir to her old job, and bonjour to her new career. Vanderhoek got her foot in the fashion door by working as an assistant at Kellwood — a Fortune 500 design, manufacturing, and marketing company located in the City of Industry.

Meticulous and diligent, she quickly worked her way up, and soon began dictating what millions of women wear when she was put in charge of the Missy division, where Walmart became just one of her many clients. One night while catching a movie at The Pike, she saw a woman wearing one of her designs. “I excitedly ran up to her and said, ‘That dress looks great on you. I designed it. $24.99 at Walmart, right?’ The woman wasn’t exactly thrilled that I had outed her shopping secret and stormed off in a huff. I didn’t let it dampen the moment, though. Something I made, made someone else look fantastic — and it doesn’t get much better than that.”

On top of her game — and, in many respects the fashion world — Vanderhoek’s life would take both a tragic and triumphant turn. “The death of my father forced me to reset my priorities. The fashion industry is a brutal business. It’s not enough to like what you do, you have to love it.”

The long hours, temperamental clients, and unrealistic deadlines had made designing feel more like a business and less like an art, which is what drew Vanderhoek to the industry in the first place. So, once again, she made a gutsy move. Switching from design to merchandising, and changing her focus from Missy to Juniors, Vanderhoek finally found her niche.

She spends her days buying original artwork, which will then be spun into printed fabrics, using the runway, personal inspiration and demands of the market as her guide. Every month she puts together a warm and cool palette collection of 40 or so prints, specifically with the savvy Junior shopper in mind, and prays that her customers see the light. “So often I wind up being a year ahead of everyone else. I was all over the romantic ditzy thing (small floral prints) a year ago and nobody cared. Now, you see it everywhere.”

Some might see this as a potential flaw, but in reality, it just makes her really good at her job.

On any given day in Long Beach, a woman could find herself going from the pool to yoga class, from running errands to meeting a gal pal for lunch, leaving her little to no time to dress appropriately for each activity — unless she’s wearing Quenchwear. Designed by long-time Long Beach resident Wendy Manasse, her Quenchwear collection attempts to blur the line between lifestyle and activewear.

“Women deserve to look great and be comfortable all at the same time,” Manasse proclaims. It doesn’t hurt that her line of skirts, pants, halter tops and hooded tees are 88 percent microfiber polyester and 12 percent lycra, making them wrinkle resistant, and the next best thing to wearing sunscreen (the tightly woven but breathable material blocks out a high percentage of UV rays).

Manasse is a fashion industry veteran, having spent over twenty years designing everything from hand-painted silk evening gowns for a small company in Chicago, to a line of Catalina swimwear that sold in just about every Walmart store in the country. While she did not design the Miracle Bra, she did play a key role in making the swimwear version hugely successful for Victoria’s Secret.

It was during this phase of her career that Manasse realized, “If you can design something that millions of women buy, you can do anything.” This insight, coupled with the realization that most women from the baby boomer generation don’t actually go in the pool — they just like hanging around it — is what led to the creation of Quenchwear.

Manasse adds, “Women usually leave their cover-ups on until the last possible second. I wanted to create something that would give women the confidence to get in the pool if they wanted to, but was — at it’s core — flattering to her figure. As we women age, we get wider, not to mention the sag factor. Quenchwear offers clothing with flattering lines, built-in bras, and comfortable waistbands that sit right below the belly button.”

A huge selling point for Quenchwear is the fact that a real woman (her model good-looks aside) created it with real women in mind, which may be why each piece is named after one of her friends. The “Toni” Capri pants and the “Cassie”, a deep U-neck hoodie, are her number-one sellers.

Though Nordstrom’s is eyeing her line, it is currently only available through internet sales (quenchwear.com) or by appointment-only trunk shows. “I have found that the personal touch goes a long way. I really enjoy dressing women, both literally and figuratively.”