Bella Umbrella handmade umbrellas on Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District. Owner Jodell Egbert is one of the last remaining umbrella makers in the country. Egbert began collecting umbrellas over 20 years ago. Collecting umbrellas was getting expensive. So she began renting out her vintage collection.
The Bella Umbrella collection contains unique, vintage umbrellas, some dating as far back as the 1800s. You can rent a vintage umbrella for your party, Halloween or Mardi Gras costume, wedding, or other event. The packaging includes a return package and label. So it’s easy! It was repairing her returned rentals that Jodell began her journey into making her own umbrellas.
In 2009, Jodell opened her first brick and mortar shop in Seattle. Her Magazine Street store is her fourth umbrella shop. It is also where she crafts her signature Pagoda style. It has been featured in Sex and the City and Bridgerton! Her umbrellas were also featured in American Horror Story Coven. The show was filmed in New Orleans. She is also a U.S. patent holder. She designed a technique for exchangeable handles. You can personalize your umbrella for every occasion or season.
The 2020 pandemic challenged Egbert to come up with something new at Bella Umbrella, and so she began her Heritage Collection. She uses old wedding dresses, and repurposes them into umbrellas! She works with her brides to select the perfect frame and handle. They are the perfect “something old” or “something borrowed”. It is a beautiful way to preserve a family heirloom that may otherwise be forgotten.