Collins of Texas (American, 1946-1970s)

The Original Collins of Texas was a famous American company, located in Texas Hill Country, and primarily focused on design and manufacturing of ladies handbags and accessories. It was founded in Medina by Enid and Frederic COLLINS in 1946. Enid COLLINS was a legendary figure in American folk-art fashion. She was a former milliner who moved with her husband, Frederic, to a ranch in Medina, Texas, in the 1940s. To help support the ranch, they began crafting canvas totes and leather bags. Their quirky, joyful designs caught the eye of high-end retailers like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. By the mid-1960s, these bags were a must-have fashion trend across the country. To many American women and girls from the 1950s through the early 1970s, the Enid COLLINS bag was a “must have” fashion accessory. Popular trends affected the designs, such as the mid 1960s Love bags, and various Flower Power themed bags which were made to appeal to younger buyers. Enid and her husband Frederic opened a factory in their town of Medina, Texas to produce their canvas totes. By 1958, they had 80 employees and had opened a retail outlet. In 1966 another factory was opened in Puerto Rico. Wooden box bags decorated with papier-mâché were made in that factory. This operation was closed in 1968. In 1970, Enid and Frederic divorced, Enid COLLINS sold her business with the copyrights to her designs to the Tandy Corporation. She continued worked for Tandy for about a year before leaving the company. Tandy continued to make her designs through the early 1970s (these bags feature a different logo – a horse jumping over a moon – and do not carry Enid's personal hand-signed "ec" monogram on the front). Tandy Corporation eventually sold the company. Enid COLLINS died in 1990.