1 month ago
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When it comes to parenting style, Alexandra Rutkay’s got it successful the bag.
Unwilling to forgo fab fashions for frumpy mommy gear, the Upper East Sider dreamed up a decorator diaper bearer that’s present affording her the beingness of her dreams.
“We conscionable made 7 figures,” Rutkay, 41, joined ma and laminitis of posh babe container marque Citymouse, told The Post.
Rutkay and hubby David, who precocious near his six-figure occupation successful luxury car income to service arsenic Citymouse’s operations manager, tally their literal mom-and-pop store from their two-bedroom uptown abode.
The mates wage themselves astir 18% of the wide profits — reinvesting the remainder backmost into the biz. They’ve sold much than 10,000 bags this twelvemonth alone.
“We bash everything from our apartment,” said Rutkay, who doubles arsenic a constitution creator for “Law & Order: SVU” prima Mariska Hargitay.
“We banal inventory here, we bundle orders here,” she laughed. “We’re surrounded by bags.”
Rutkay is among the expanding fig of entrepreneurial spirits launching broadside hustles to support financially afloat in the look of inflation, with ovum prices surging and the outgo of surviving on a changeless climb.
A March 2025 survey from Academized, an online acquisition hub, recovered that 52% of US millennials, workers aged 26 to 41, person taken connected astatine slightest 1 further occupation to supplement their income amid the struggling economy.
But for Rutkay, hawking haute bags to modish mamas is simply a labour of love.
“Most moms privation to regain a consciousness of self, a consciousness of their ain style,” said the genitor of a 5-year-old boy, whose sanction she asked beryllium withheld. “And everybody needs a bully functional purse.”
Her Citymouse crossbody is simply a sleek, chic carryall made of regenerated nylon — couture-quality recycled worldly utilized by manner houses specified arsenic Gucci and Prada.
It rises arsenic a swanky alternate to those unbecoming vessel bags of yore — and arsenic a budget-friendly substitute to the $20,000 totes donned by bougie Birkin moms.
Instead, Rutkay’s $79 accessory offers on-the-go ladies a dash of affordable pizzazz portion baby’s successful tow.
Her blistery commodity, which she said often sells retired connected TikTok Shop — the societal medium’s virtual marketplace — features a 13-inch-long, 3-inch-wide and 8-inch-high sling pouch.
The container comes with a decorator strap, a changing sheet, a cardinal lanyard, an elastic vessel oregon sippy cupful holder, a mesh separation pouch for diapers — and recognition paper slots for grownups.
“It tin clasp up to 8 newborn diapers and 3 of the largest size diapers — it tin adjacent clasp a afloat vessel of wine,” chuckled Rutkay, who had nary erstwhile acquisition successful manner operation earlier debuting Citymouse successful precocious 2022.
For Rutkay, the bag’s luxe look was birthed retired of “necessity and frustration” up of a household outing. When the brunette couldn’t compression each of her then-toddler son’s needs into a Louis Vuitton bucket bag, a lightbulb turned connected successful her head.
“I stood successful beforehand of my closet and thought, ‘Why aren’t determination cute bags that enactment arsenic diaper bags?’” Rutkay recalled.
With conscionable a napkin, a pen and a agleam idea, she doodled the prototype, then paid overseas manufacturers $36,000 to crook her imagination sack into a reality.
The Citymouse effect wealth was currency Rutkay had made from selling T-shirt designs online during the pandemic — a mini hustle she’d kick-started soon aft discovering she had cancer.
“I was diagnosed with sarcoma, a uncommon Stage 3 cancer, successful May 2020,” said Rutkay. At the time, she’d conscionable welcomed her babe that February.
“I went done surgery, chemotherapy, radiation,” Rutkay explained. “It was the worst happening I’d ever been through.”
Now cancer-free, she credits the life-threatening experience, arsenic good arsenic her son, with giving her the courageousness to prosecute her goals.
“I’d [previously] sworn disconnected entrepreneurship, but there’s this happening called post-traumatic growth,” said Rutkay, referring to the affirmative intelligence changes that tin hap aft 1 overcomes a large challenge.
“It removed a batch of my self-doubt,” the tycoon-in-training added. “Surviving crab makes maine not truly attraction what radical think.
“I person 1 precious life, and I wanted to physique thing with a bequest for my son,” she continued. “I anticipation my travel teaches him that thing is possible.”
It’s a connection that the parent besides wants her chap broadside hustlers (or poly-workers) to instrumentality to heart.
“I truly bash anticipation radical are inspired by my story,” said Rutkay. “I’m cipher special. I conscionable went for it, and they can, too.”
English (US) ·