In April 1941, the Fink family started Excel Handbags Co. in a Broadway loft in Manhattan — eight months before Pearl Harbor. They hand-cut and hand-sewed frame bags for the women's shoe chains that defined mid-century American retail.

Marvin Fink, the youngest son, enlisted at 17. He fought in World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge, and returned in 1946 to join the family business. He ran it for nearly 50 years.

In 1974, with New York manufacturing collapsing, Marvin made a bet most of his peers refused to make. He moved the entire operation to Miami, hired from the city's growing Cuban and Haitian communities, and kept the business growing. By the 1980s, Excel was one of the last domestic handbag manufacturers in the United States.

Marvin's son Brian took over in 1994 — and saw the next shift before the industry did. He flew to Asia, built offshore production relationships, and grew Excel into one of the largest independent handbag suppliers in the country. Years later, he saw the reusable bag opportunity coming long before regulation forced it. He launched Mallory Renée — named for his daughter and his mother — with his close friend and business partner Bernie Orban. By the time the plastic bag bans started passing, we were already shipping reusable programs for the largest retailers in America.

Brian Fink passed away in October 2025, after building the company for more than 30 years. His son Max, the third generation of Finks in this business, leads the company today.

When a retailer partners with Mallory Renée, they’re partnering with a family that has been making bags for 85 years and intends to make them for many more. Our word has been our bond for three generations. We mean to keep it.