Since 1989, the coolest stuff on the planet. That one sentence sums up more than three decades of top-selling products from American Studio.
In July 1989, American Studio was established by the husband-and-wife team of David and Ilene (“Leenie”) Engel.
David, with his sales and marketing background, felt that there was room in the marketplace for a new supplier, focused on good quality basics.
The company’s first products were insulated lunch bags, which were designed and sold to two national retailers. As the items began to succeed at retail, they had requests for new items and more stylish products.
This made it apparent that it was time to bring in the big guns. Leenie, who had a design background, was initially reluctant to join the company, having heard all of the horror stories about spouses who try to work together. David, using his usual persuasiveness, convinced her to give it a try for a year, with the agreement that if things became rocky, they would separate business from personal.
Luckily, as Leenie began designing under the “Leenie” moniker, the successes grew, her designs began to outpace the ‘basics’, and they never looked back.
Over the years, the company added new product lines. Today the company is known for school supplies, totebags, cosmetic cases, and cooler bags. And, yes, they still make those original lunch bags. Today, American Studio products are available in over 19,000 stores worldwide.