For women whose days rarely involve staying in one place, a handbag has to do considerably more than look good. Work, travel, meetings, errands and everything that happens between them can turn a beautiful-but-impractical bag into one more thing to manage.
Hale Sky is approaching the problem from a different angle with convertible bags designed to change according to how they need to be carried. At the center of the collection is the Lanah 3-in-1 handbag, a style created to move between different functions rather than forcing its owner to switch bags every time the day changes direction.
Hale Sky 3-in-1 Lanah Convertible Handbag as a backpack
Hale Sky Steps Into Emmy Week
Hollywood’s 2026 Emmy Awards celebrations were already underway on Friday, September 11, as nominees, select talent and media gathered for Secret Room Events’ Red Carpet Style Lounge, held in honor of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Tamara Hale at the 2026 Secret Room Emmys event, gifting her gorgeous Italian leather Lanah convertible handbag to Melissa Niece Smith
Hale Sky was among the brands featured at the event, showing how much harder a handbag can work. Founder Tamara Hale created the brand around versatile leather bags designed to transition between tote, briefcase and backpack using a concealed strap system. Made in New York City, the bags marry polished styling with real-world functionality for work, travel and everyday life. It was fashion solving a practical problem without looking like it was trying too hard.
Hale Sky founder Tamara Hale with Yvette Nicole Brown at the Secret Room 2026 Emmy event
One Bag, Different Roles
The idea behind Hale Sky is straightforward: versatility shouldn’t require sacrificing personal style. A bag appropriate for a meeting may not necessarily be the most comfortable option while navigating an airport or spending hours walking around a city. Hale Sky’s convertible design addresses both situations by allowing a bag to transition between a traditional handbag or brief-style carry and a backpack.
That adaptability is particularly relevant now, when the lines between work, travel and everyday life have become increasingly fluid. A morning may begin with a professional commitment and end somewhere entirely different, making pieces that can perform more than one job genuinely useful.
Function Is Part of the Design
Hale Sky also puts organization at the center of its designs. The bags incorporate compartments for keeping everyday necessities separated and accessible, secure zippers for valuables and adjustable straps that allow the wearer to change both the carrying style and fit.
Those details may sound simple, but they address some of the most common frustrations with everyday bags: digging through one oversized compartment to find something, worrying about an open tote while traveling, or carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder for hours.
The backpack option is particularly practical when hands-free movement matters. Instead of carrying an additional backpack for travel or a busy day, the same bag can adapt.
Utility Without the Utilitarian Look
Convertible products sometimes lean so heavily into practicality that they begin to resemble equipment. Hale Sky has made a point of keeping fashion in the equation.
The collection includes different designs and colors intended to work across wardrobes and occasions, allowing functionality to remain relatively discreet. The Lanah 3-in-1 Bag exemplifies that philosophy: its versatility is built into the design rather than becoming the entire visual identity of the bag.
That distinction is important. The most useful multifunctional products are often the ones that don’t announce how practical they are.
For Hale Sky, the larger idea is that a woman’s bag should function less like an accessory she has to work around and more like something designed around the way she actually lives. The Lanah offers a particularly interesting example of that philosophy, and raises some questions about what goes into designing a handbag capable of doing three jobs without looking like it is trying to.
Hale Sky 3-in-1 Lanah Convertible Handbag display at the Secret Room’s 2026 Emmy gift suite in Hollywood, CA
Q&A With Hale Sky
LA’s The Place: What inspired you to create Hale Sky, and what did you feel was missing from the handbag market at the time?
Tamara Hale: The idea for Hale Sky started years ago when I was in college and beginning to transition into professional settings through internships. I found myself needing a bag that could work for different parts of my day. I wanted something that was practical enough to carry what I needed but still looked polished and appropriate when I walked into a professional environment.
I had tried other convertible bags, but I found that some of the features that made them versatile could also become inconvenient, particularly when straps that weren’t being used were left hanging from the bag. It made me think about how a convertible bag could be designed differently, with the functionality incorporated into the bag itself.
I wanted one beautiful handbag that could transition with me without having to choose between functionality and style. That idea eventually became the Lanah 3-in-1 Convertible Handbag, which transitions from a tote to a briefcase to a backpack while maintaining the look and feel of a luxury handbag. That balance between versatility and sophistication became the foundation of Hale Sky.
LATP: The Lanah is a 3-in-1 handbag. What are the three situations or needs each configuration was designed to address?
Hale: Each configuration of the Lanah was designed with a different part of a woman’s day in mind. The briefcase gives her a polished, professional option for work, meetings, or other business settings. The tote offers a more relaxed way to carry the bag for everyday use, while the backpack provides a hands-free option for commuting, traveling, or simply when she needs more freedom of movement.
What was important to me was that she wouldn’t need to change bags as her day changed. She could go from commuting to the office, into a meeting, and then on to whatever came next, all with the same handbag. The Lanah was designed to adapt to those transitions while still looking polished in each configuration.
LATP: What was the hardest design challenge in making sure each configuration still looked polished and intentional?
Hale: One of the biggest design challenges was making sure the Lanah didn’t look like a convertible bag. I wanted each configuration to feel intentional, so whether it was being carried as a briefcase, tote, or backpack, it still needed to look like a polished luxury handbag.
That meant thinking carefully about where the straps and functional elements would go when they weren’t being used. I didn’t want extra straps hanging from the bag or features that made one configuration look like an afterthought. The functionality needed to be incorporated into the design as seamlessly as possible. It took a lot of thought and refinement to find that balance, but maintaining the overall look of the bag while giving it three distinct functions was very important to me.
LATP: How did your own real-life needs around organization influence the interior design of the Lanah?
Hale: My own experience definitely influenced how I thought about the interior of the Lanah. I wanted it to provide organization, but I also didn’t want to fill the interior with so many compartments that it limited how someone could use the space. Women may be carrying technology and work essentials along with personal items, so I intentionally wanted room for things like a cosmetic bag, a pen or pencil case, or other small organizational pouches that can be added or removed as needed.
I wanted to give women the flexibility to organize the Lanah based on what they need that particular day. For me, good organization isn’t necessarily about having a designated pocket for everything. It’s about having functional, usable space that can adapt along with you.
LATP: What did you learn about straps, weight distribution, and fit while developing the Lanah?
Hale: One of the biggest things I learned was that straps can’t be treated as an afterthought in a convertible bag. Before creating the Lanah, I had used another convertible bag where the straps that weren’t being used would hang from the bag. On one occasion, as I was preparing to get off a train, I realized one of the straps had gotten caught on another passenger’s bag. I was able to free it before getting off the train and before the doors closed, but the experience stayed with me. Something that was supposed to make the bag more convenient had created an unnecessary problem.
With the Lanah, I wanted the backpack straps to have a place to go when they weren’t being used, which led to designing them so they could be tucked away within the bag. I also learned how important strap placement and adjustability are so that each configuration feels comfortable and natural to carry.
LATP: How did you choose the materials, and how did you balance appearance, durability, and everyday use?
Hale: Choosing the materials was about finding the right balance between luxury, durability, and versatility. I chose full-grain Italian leather because I wanted the Lanah to have a beautiful, elevated appearance while also being a bag that could be used regularly. The materials and hardware also needed to support the functionality of a bag that transitions between three different configurations.
Just as important, I wanted the Lanah to be ready for wherever a woman’s day might take her, whether that’s the boardroom, a special occasion, everyday use, or simply walking in style. I didn’t want the functionality of the bag to take away from its elegance. Every material choice needed to support both sides of the design by creating a handbag that is practical enough to use throughout the day and polished enough to feel appropriate wherever you’re going.
LATP: Did you have women test the Lanah during development, and did their feedback result in any changes?
Hale: During development, I was very hands-on in evaluating the Lanah and refining the design. Once the Lanah was available, I also wanted to hear how women responded to it in real life. I’ve had influencers try the bag, but I’ve also personally selected everyday women and asked them to use it and give me their feedback. I wanted to hear from different women rather than only people within the fashion industry.
The feedback has been very positive and has largely reinforced the design rather than led to major changes. One of the things I’ve heard most often is that the Lanah has become their go-to bag because of its versatility and how easily it fits into different parts of their day. That has been especially rewarding for me because it reinforces the reason I created the Lanah in the first place, which was to give women one beautiful bag that can adapt to how they actually live.
LATP: Have you been surprised by how customers use the Lanah or which configurations they gravitate toward?
Hale: What has been interesting to me is seeing how differently women use the Lanah. There isn’t necessarily one configuration that works for everyone. Some women naturally gravitate toward carrying it as a tote or briefcase, while others really appreciate having the backpack option when they want to be hands-free.
What I’ve enjoyed most is seeing women make the bag their own and use the different configurations based on what they’re doing that day. Someone may prefer one way of carrying it most of the time but then discover how useful another configuration is for commuting, traveling, work, or everyday life. That’s really what I hoped the Lanah would do, adapt to the woman carrying it rather than asking her to adapt to the bag.
LATP: How do you balance fashion and practicality without making the bag look utilitarian?
Hale: For me, fashion and practicality should complement each other. I never wanted someone to look at the Lanah and immediately think “convertible bag.” I wanted her to see a beautiful luxury handbag first and then discover everything it can do.
That meant being very intentional about how the functional elements were incorporated into the design. The straps needed to be there when you wanted them and out of the way when you didn’t. The bag needed enough space to be useful without losing its shape or polished appearance. Even as it transitions between a tote, briefcase, and backpack, I wanted it to maintain the same sense of style. My goal has always been to show that women shouldn’t have to sacrifice fashion for functionality or functionality for fashion.
LATP: Where do you see the convertible concept going next? Are there other everyday problems you want Hale Sky to solve?
Hale: I see the convertible concept continuing to grow with Hale Sky. The Lanah was the beginning, but the larger vision has always been to create thoughtfully designed pieces that give women more flexibility in how they move through their day. I’m interested in looking at the everyday challenges women experience with the things they carry and finding ways to solve those problems without sacrificing style.
As Hale Sky grows, I want to continue exploring new designs and different sizes while staying true to that philosophy. Whatever comes next should have a reason for being convertible or multifunctional. I don’t want to add functionality simply for the sake of having another feature. It should solve a real need, make something easier, and still feel beautiful and polished. That’s the direction I want Hale Sky to take.
For more information and how to order, go to Hale Sky Collections
