The Story
Cuffz by Linz handbags exploded onto the scene in Fall of 2004. The collection debuted at Lisa Kline – one of LA's most respected and established boutiques located on the famous Robertson Blvd. Almost immediately, Paris Hilton picked up one in every color, and wore them everywhere! Several major magazines picked up on "Paris Hilton’s favorite purse", the Cuffz "Barfly" bag, and made Cuffz the must-have holiday item, and the "it" bag for Spring 2005.
Cuffz by Linz bags have since appeared on The O.C., Desperate Housewives, The Simple Life, Dirt, The L Word, My Fair Brady, MTV's The Real World, and E!. Cuffz has gained a celebrity cult following within and beyond Los Angeles including: Victoria Beckham, Fergie, Kirsten Dunst, Mandy Moore, Mischa Barton, Jaime Pressly, Tara Reid, Adrianne Curry, Nicolette Sheridan, Pamela Anderson, Courtney Love, Rachel Hunter, Kelly Hu, Rosanna Arquette, Kimberly Stewert, and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Linz
Designer Linz Shelton is a San Francisco-born California native currently living in Los Angeles. She has spent the last several years bouncing around London, Paris, Florence, and Milan - completing her education in English Literature and Theatre. She abandoned the jet-set lifestyle to settle into the Hollywood scene and develop her handbag line, CUFFZ by Linz, and to finish her Literature degree at UCLA.
Linz transitioned from the costume community into the fashion world several years ago, and since then has experienced the industry through many lenses: as a stylist, as head buyer for several high-end boutiques in the San Francisco Bay Area, and most recently as designer and CEO of Cuffz Inc. Her designs continue to combine the flair of theatrical (and drag!) costume with rock n' roll sensibilities, steeped heavily in the DIY punk aesthetic, with wearable practicality and edgy innovation.
The concept for the original CUFFZ "Barfly" bag came about when Linz was exploring the chic, wild-yet-well-mannered club scene in London several years ago - where one is expected to gracefully keep command of a full cocktail and a fashionable clutch purse while seemingly effortlessly flitting about a crowded dance floor and up tiny VIP staircases. Thus the idea of incorporating handcuffs into one's evening routine was born! The bag stays put, but the heads turn! Since then, the handcuff - still fully functional - has come to designate one's glamorous clutch, sexy shoulder bag, or chic tote as a true "CUFFZ" original!
