From The Art of the Handbag:

In the 1980s, California Bay Area native Mary Frances abandoned real estate for a more creative career. She began by designing costume jewelry, and her love of the genre lives on in her beaded and bejeweled bags. The designer launched her first collection of bags in 1989. Needless to say, it was a smash hit. Since then, her business has grown exponentially, but every bag is still made by hand. Mary Frances has twice been named “Star of the Show” at Paris Fashion Week and in 2004, won the Accessory Designer of the Year Award at the Dallas Fashion Awards.