Alyssa Graves was raised bicoastally in Connecticut and California. Although she studied sculpture in college, she chose to pursue a career in fashion and moved to New York City, where she has lived ever since. After two years at Marie Claire magazine in the editorial department, Alyssa decided to take her love for fashion in another direction. In the spring of 2001, she launched her first handbag collection. From the start, Alyssa's unique designs have attracted much attention in the fashion world. In 2002, she was chosen as a featured accessories designer in GEN ART's "Fresh Faces in Fashion" show. She was also nominated for Fashion Group International's "Rising Star" award in 2003.

Alyssa's designs embrace the full color spectrum using everything from chic upolstery fabric to vintage leather. Alyssa travels to Europe multiple times a year seeking out the best fabrics: french linens, english tartans, and exotic italian leathers. Her bags, which are sold in some of the finest boutiques in the country, have been featured in WWD, W, Lucky, In Style, Accessories, Elle, New York, Teen Vogue, and Seventeen.