It probably comes as no surprise that Kelley Daring, the inventor, founder, and CEO of Bagnet is a huge fan of handbags. After all, she did invent a product made to keep your bag off the floor — a Bagnet is a stylish magnet made to be clipped to your bag so you can hang it anywhere from public restrooms stalls, outdoor cafes, breweries to bars, in your car, at the office, or while you’re shopping.

As someone who has dedicated so much time to helping women protect their bags, we were curious about her favorite bags.

WE FOUND OUT THAT KELLEY IS ESPECIALLY FOND OF DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER HANDBAG BRANDS AND HERE’S WHY:

Many founders and owners of DTC handbag companies are women. I am a huge proponent of supporting not only women in business, but also smaller brands that are owned and run by individuals rather than giant corporations. When I purchase from a small, woman-owned company, I love that my dollars are going toward supporting her family and her employees, and not into the pockets of CEOs and shareholders.

As the owner of two small businesses, I am familiar with the challenges of competing with huge, international brands. I know that small businesses are powered by small teams of people who are passionate and care deeply about their customers, products, and reputation. Those small teams work without the money and resources that giant corporations have access to, but still have to compete with those juggernauts. I’d rather my money go to those small teams so that they can continue to build their brands and successfully compete with the Amazons and Walmarts of the world.

I’m a lover of handbags at all price points, and handbags are one of the few items that I will splurge on because I consider them investment pieces that I will keep for years, if not my entire life. I appreciate the heritage brands and the history behind them, but those bags come with a hefty price tag. What’s great about the small DTC bag brands is that they offer handcrafted construction in high quality materials at a fraction of the cost. This works well for me because I want alllllllllll the handbags, and with small DTC brands I can afford to buy more of them than the heritage brand bags, but I don’t have to sacrifice quality.

Probably my favorite thing about DTC bag brands is the variety of styles and designs. I appreciate a classic, looks-great-with everything handbag and I have a few of them. But what really sets me on fire is a bag that screams “look at me” in the most beautiful way possible. From creative colors, to distinct stitching, to eye-catching shapes and unique details – these are the bags that I come back to time and again, and younger brands demonstrate so much more diversity and creativity in their product lines. Some of my favorite unique designs come from Mlouye, Yuzefi, and Wandler.