What: Colorful hand-embroidered purses made by women in developing countries. The mission of Oovoo designs is to empower those women financially so they can support themselves and their families while working from home.

Who: Pauline Lewis, the company’s founder and codesigner. Originally from Malaysia, Pauline started Oovoo after she moved to Alexandria six years ago.

Where: The handbags are sold all over the country; call 866-996-6866 to find a store. Some local shops that carry them include ShoeFly in Arlington, Red Orchard in Bethesda, and Hoopla Traders in DC’s Adams Morgan.

Making an impact across the globe: Pauline had been working for ten years in market research when she took a trip to Vietnam that gave her the idea to start a handbag line. She met local women there who were making handbags but couldn’t afford to work from home. One woman in particular, Le Thi Hong Tu, agreed to work with Pauline to codesign an exclusive handbag line that would give something back to those women she’d met. Pauline now visits Vietnam twice a year.

An Estella Couture design.

What: Custom-made ethnic and exotic couture clothing.

Who: Estella Ogbonna, a Silver Spring-based designer originally from Nigeria. She worked in computer network administration until 2006, when she decided to pursue a full-time career in fashion design.

Where to buy it: E-mail Estella at info@estellacouture.com or call 301-915-5927. Online sales will be available by the end of the year on her Web site, estellacouture.com.

Back to basics: When she realized that fashion design was something she wanted to do full-time, Estella—who began sewing and designing when she was a child—took classes to hone her skills and tried to get her clothing into stores. Even now, she continues to look for opportunities to grow; she’s planning to take a short program in Milan in the near future. “It’s the home of fashion,” she says. “I’m going there to learn the ways of taking my business to the next level. Having a talent is not the same thing as making a business.”

An ethnic touch: Estella started her business because there was a local demand for culturally rich African designs. She takes traditional and ethnic themes and creates colorful clothes that she says are modern and trendy, so they’re seen as not just African but also stylish. The majority of her designs are for women, although she sometimes designs for men, too: “For women you get to work with the curves, complexion, the colors—and that’s what I love to do.”

What: Contemporary women’s wear, including coats, dresses, pants, and blouses.

Who: Tsyndyma Kroujilov. She was born in Siberia and lived in Russia and Houston before moving to Washington 12 years ago. “In some kind of way, I’m getting closer to New York,” she says with a laugh. She lives in Potomac with her husband and two sons.

Where to buy it: View the clothing line on her Web site, tsyndyma.com, and call 240-888-5175 to make an appointment to visit her showroom at 9317 Bentridge Avenue in Potomac.

Engineer-turned-designer: Tsyndyma started sewing when she was six years old, but in high school she was a top math student, so she decided to attend Moscow Polygraphic Institute for mechanical engineering. At school, friends would ask her to help them with their wardrobes: “I would say, ‘First tell me why you want to change.’ Beauty is confidence.”

After spending six years as an engineer, she decided to begin working as a couture dressmaker in Moscow, where her passion for the fashion industry really began to grow. She also found that her math skills helped her with the dress designs and proportions.

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Brooks.

What: Jewelry—including earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings—for men and women that combines Peruvian culture with modern design.

Who: Evelyn Brooks, 33, an Alexandria-based designer who grew up in Peru watching her father operate his jewelry business. She never thought she would follow in his footsteps, but now she’s an award-winning designer.

Where to buy it: On her Web site, ebrooksdesigns.com, and at these area boutiques.

Turning point: Before considering jewelry design, Evelyn was a United Airlines ticket-sales agent in Mexico City for two years. In fact, on September 10, 2001, she was on the same plane, United Airlines Flight 93, that would be part of the next day’s terrorist attacks. She spent September 11 working at an airport in Mexico where hundreds of people were left stranded. A month later, she was laid off and returned to Peru, where her father encouraged her to create her first designs.

One of Kymberly Davis' designs.

What: Classic pieces and custom clothing for men and women, including bridal wear, evening wear, and business wear, as well as alterations. Also custom home decor, including drapery and upholstery.

Who: Kymberly Davis, a budding designer based in Fort Washington who currently works as an executive assistant for a contracting company. Davis works an early shift so she can focus on her designs after work and on weekends.

Where: Learn more about Davis at her Web site, kdavisdesigns.com, and place an order by calling 202-680-4943.

Early beginnings: When Kymberly was in elementary school, her aunt taught her to sew, and what started as a hobby became a passion. She’s still in the process of becoming a full-time designer, which has proven difficult at times: “I’ve been sewing for over 20 years. It’s been a while, and it’s much more challenging when you have to work another job.”

The art of fashion: Kymberly’s ultimate goal for her work isn’t mass production. She enjoys not only the design aspect of her business but also constructing garments. Her clientele is mostly executives, so she often designs suits, but she has also made clothes for weddings.

What: L~Shandi Designs, brightly colored women’s clothing with unique patterns—everything from dresses to tops to clutches. The name is derived from lepa shandi, Nigerian street slang for a woman in flattering or sexy clothing.

Who: Lara Akinsanya, a 31-year-old biochemist by day and fashion designer by night. She works in HIV clinical research and never really dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, but she decided to create clothes that worked for her: “I just liked fashion. When I started getting older and having the choice on my own personal style, I didn’t like black; I like colors. I wanted to make it my own and let it reflect my own personal style.”

Where to buy it: On her Web site, lshandi.com, or at Caramel Boutique on U Street. Her designs are also sold in stores along the East Coast, including Patricia Field in New York and Rag Junkie in Florida.