As Candice and Erica will tell you, the story of Lapin Vilardi began with a dusty shoe bag and a missing La Perla bra.

For Candice, creating pretty things has always been a passion—or obsession—depending on how you define the term. At an early age, she began designing personalized gifts from “found objects,” including her mother's collection of Hermes scarves. This passion continued through law school where lectures often took a backseat to all-night sewing sessions. Despite her talent for law, it soon became clear that Candice's future lay in fashion and not in torts. All she needed was the right opportunity.

That opportunity surfaced just a few years later in the back of her closet. While looking for a lost pair of wedges, Candice came across a crumpled shoe bag and thought, why not design a bag that was as stylish as the shoes it contained?

That holiday season, everyone on Candice's list received a handmade shoe bag, including her long time pal, Erica Vilardi. Erica, a fellow patron of stylish things, immediately fell in love with her gift. Soon after, Erica presented Candice with a lingerie carryall that she had designed herself just a year earlier.

As a fashion model, Erica had perfected the art of living out of a suitcase yet still found it challenging to keep her things neat and organized. Traveling through customs and being searched was especially embarrassing, particularly when underwear would go flying in front of the customs officers. Managing to keep dirty clothes separated proved equally frustrating when the only option was a small plastic bag from the hotel.

It was however the loss of a beloved La Perla bra during a chaotic overseas shoot that prompted Erica to design her own lingerie carryall to keep all of her personal items safe and in one place. She knew she was onto something when stylists and other models would constantly ask her where they could get one.

The timing seemed particularly auspicious, so the two friends decided to combine their talents and start a business together. The bags would be designed for whatever a girl on the go might need. After much experimenting, Candice and Erica established a line of carryalls that reflected both their love of travel and their passion for all things pretty.

Since debuting their line, private sales have been significant. The two currently have plans for a limited product launch this coming season with a full-scale launch scheduled for spring 2006.