Mary Frances

Celebrating 20 incredible years as a leader in the fashion industry Mary Frances Shaffer, welcomes you to the wonderful world of Mary Frances Accessories. Mary Frances’ vision & expertise in business have driven her originally home-based business into an international, multi-million dollar corporation that employs more than 700 people.

At the core, Mary Frances’ motivation is to provide objects of pure beauty at an accessible price-point. Her handmade treasures are available in over 3000 boutiques & department stores worldwide. Mary Frances Accessories has experienced exponential growth over the years – establishing the Mary Frances label as a widely recognized brand.

Based in the San Francisco-Bay Area, Mary Frances Accessories has twice been named (in 2005 & 2006) as one of America’s 500 fastest-growing privately owned companies by Inc. Magazine. In 2004, Mary Frances proudly received the Accessory Designer of the Year Award at the Dallas Fashion Awards & was one of 5 designers acknowledged as a ‘Star of the Show’ during Paris fashion week in 2004 & 2005.

Mary Frances attributes much of her drive & success to the life-changing experience of losing her father at a young age. This led to recognizing the value & importance of each day; as well as striving to realize her goals & dreams..or, in her case, a very embellished ‘brass ring’! “On a day to day basis I feel that I want to live this day as much as possible,” Mary Frances often says. This philosophy is apparent in her infinite energy & creativity as she designs an amazing 5 collections of over 250 handbags & accessories per year.

Mary Frances is passionate about what she does & knows what her customer is looking for: unique, quality accessories that can express their personality & individual style. Primarily inspired by fabrics, textures & unique combinations of materials & colors, Mary Frances reviews trends, then sets them aside to arrive at look that is all her own. Each design is as unique & full of life as she is… giving rise to one of Mary Frances’ favorite quips, “Life is too short to dress boring!” The fan base of the Mary Frances collection is as varied as her handbags: we’ve heard from collectors owning anywhere from 30 to more than 100 Mary Frances bags; there are Mary Frances fan clubs; & Mary Frances designs can be seen on the arms of celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Teri Hatcher, Kate Hudson and Jennifer Anniston, to name just a few.

Mary Frances is a native of California & grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. She shares a rich family life with her husband & son who both support & delight her. She loves her work & believes that her business & personal life “flow through my existence together; not as two separate entities.”

It’s been with a sense of gratitude & privilege that Mary Frances has spent the last 20 years providing beautiful handbags for women all over the world to enjoy. Not surprisingly… she’s off and running into the next 20!