Chris Costello watched in amazement two years ago as a woman in New York City made small handbags connected with zippers.

What a great idea, he thought.

"I saw it and the bell went off in my head," Costello said. "I realized this is a product that could be pretty interesting to bring to market."

Costello worked out a deal to buy the concept from the woman. Then he and his wife, Kat, spent the past two years conducting research, refining the product design and finding a manufacturer for their zpr - short for zipper - bag for girls.

The first order of 10,000 bags should arrive in Richmond from China in July. He has signed up five small retailers - none in Richmond yet - to sell the zpr bag. The product also can be purchased online at www.zprbag.com.

"This has the potential to be a big hit," said Costello, president and chief executive of Green Alley LLC, the company he and his wife created to market and sell the handbags.

A former head of Capital One's internal creative team, Costello believes the purses will be a winner because of the design and practical application.

The nylon bags are put together by adding or subtracting five sections of the bag - Costello calls them zpstrips - connected by zippers. That way the purses can be different sizes and different color combinations by moving sections around or eliminating ones.

The five sections of the zpr bag can be rearranged into nine bags or 30 size and color combinations, he said. Three of the sections come in one color - brown, pink, teal, plum purple, tan or lime green - and the two other sections come in a different color.

He believes the purses will be a hit among girls ages 8 to 16.

"Research on'tween girls shows they go through a creative phase. They are very interested in making things and designing things," he said.

They also change their minds frequently, particularly with fashion accessories.

That should bode well for the zpr bag, he said, as girls can buy a bag at a suggested retail price of $24.99 and switch the look and size of the bag without costing a lot. Girls also can trade the smaller zpstrips among their friends, creating even more combinations, he said.

Parents, he said, should like the idea because the zpr bag can satisfy their daughters' appetite to be hip while keeping an eye on cost.

"You're spending 25 bucks for a bag and you actually have nine bags. Then each of those bags ends up costing you less than $3."

Maternity shop growing

Its Hip to be Round, the maternity store in Carytown, is growing.

The boutique is expanding to the second floor of its building at 3463 W. Cary St.

The new space, which should open in August, will be used to carry upscale stylish children's clothing.

Owner Anne Kennon also is looking for a location in the Short Pump area of western Henrico County. She hopes to open that shop next spring.

Paper store's new name

The Paper With Style shop in Petersburg has come up with a new name.

The shop's Web site is now called The Cordial Cricket.

The store will use that name as well once it moves to bigger space in Chester Village Green development this summer.

Paper With Style was forced to change its name after it learned a Georgia-based company operates a retail store and Web site under a similar moniker.
Contact Gregory J. Gilligan at (804) 649-6379 or ggilligan@timesdispatch.com.