Furst Handbags & Jewelry Makers of: Ladies fine evening, sport and day bags and very fine jewelry using precious or semi-precious materials available at: Furst, 123 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach the story: Ronald and Flavie Furst work in very different mediums but share a talent for creating distinctive pieces that stand out among typical mass-produced products. Ronald Furst, who made his first leather belt while still in his teens because he couldn’t find one he liked (and later went on to write a book about leather and then run a successful boutique in Manhattan) now designs and makes unique women’s handbags by hand. Flavie Furst, who started making jewelry for her dolls when she was a child in France, is now making fine jewelry for real people. The couple, who met at a trade fair in Bologna in 1996, have been selling their creations in Delray Beach for eight years in Pineapple Grove, where visitors can actually see handbags and jewelry being created. A designer who created accessories for some of the top names in France and internationally, Flavie Furst works in silver and gold and with stones, creating pieces available in the store as well as custom orders. A recent favorite is a bracelet made of macramé and diamonds. Flavie Furst jewelry can range in price from $300 to $3,000-plus for pieces using gold and $40 to $500 for pieces in sterling silver. Ronald Furst, whose lightweight handbags are made from materials imported from Italy and Spain, designs with unique textures and color combinations. Furst bags are all original sizes and shapes made to proportions that customers like. “What makes my bags unique is the simplicity of form,” Furst says. “They all function very well because of that.” With best-sellers in the $400 to $450 range, the bags appeal to a wide clientele diverse in age and income. “The person who carries my bag has selfconfidence and an artistic sense,” he says.
march/april
Ronald and Flavie Furst
“I have a passion for what I do, and Flavie has a passion for what she does. Our customers appreciate that and join with us.”
—Ronald FuRst
delray beach magazine
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