When you hear the name Christine Baumgartner today, your brain probably jumps straight to those explosive "Yellowstone-sized" divorce headlines from 2023 and 2024. It’s hard not to. The legal back-and-forth over child support and ranch living arrangements was everywhere. But long before the courtroom drama or the sunset wedding to Josh Connor in October 2025, she was actually building something of her own. She wasn't just a red-carpet accessory.
She was a business owner who found a gap in the market and filled it. Honestly, it's a story that gets buried under the weight of celebrity gossip.
Why Christine Baumgartner Started Cat Bag Couture
The origin story of her brand, Cat Bag Couture, is actually pretty relatable for anyone who has ever traveled for work. Around 2004, Christine realized she couldn't find a laptop bag that didn't look like a bulky piece of office equipment. She wanted something that functioned as a computer carrier but looked like a high-end fashion piece. Basically, she wanted to look like a professional without carrying a black nylon rectangle.
She wasn't just a hobbyist. Christine holds a degree in Business from California State University, Fullerton. She knew how to look at a spreadsheet as well as a sketch.
The Kevin Costner Connection
It’s true that her former husband played a role in the launch. In an old 2005 interview with the Denver Post, she admitted that when she first showed her samples to Kevin, he was the one who pushed her to take the "next step." He saw the potential.
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But having a famous husband doesn't do the actual work of manufacturing or design. Christine spent months sourcing materials and refining the aesthetics. The result? A line of bags that weren't just "celebrity merch"—they were genuine boutique items. At its peak, Cat Bag Couture even made its way onto the set of Desperate Housewives. That was a huge deal in the mid-2000s. If Eva Longoria or Marcia Cross was carrying your brand on screen, you had officially "arrived" in the cultural zeitgeist.
What Made the Handbags Different?
Handbag designer Christine Baumgartner didn't just slap a logo on a generic tote. She focused on the intersection of "style and function." You’ve probably seen the signature cat-head silhouette tags on older resale listings—that was her mark.
The bags were known for:
- High-quality leather: She leaned into supple materials that felt expensive.
- Internal Organization: Specifically designed compartments for tech, which was rare for "couture" bags at the time.
- Exclusive Distribution: You couldn't just find these at every mall. They were tucked away in high-end boutiques, specifically near the couple's 160-acre ranch in Aspen, Colorado.
The Mystery of the Brand Today
If you go looking for a brand new Cat Bag Couture piece in 2026, you're going to have a tough time. The brand has largely faded from the primary retail market.
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Why? Life happened.
Managing a three-child household with one of the world's biggest movie stars takes up a lot of bandwidth. Over time, the business took a backseat to family life. There’s a common misconception that the business "failed," but it’s more accurate to say it became dormant as her personal priorities shifted. You can still find vintage pieces on Poshmark or Etsy, often listed under "Christine Costner" or "Cat Bag Couture," and they still command decent resale prices among collectors of 2000s fashion.
Navigating the Career Shift
Her path from model to business owner to full-time mother—and now back into the public eye after her 2024 divorce—shows a lot of resilience. People often forget she was a successful model in the late 80s and early 90s. She knew the industry long before she met Kevin on a golf course.
Transitioning from "the designer" to "the wife" and then "the ex-wife" is a weird trajectory. But the business degree she earned at Fullerton wasn't for show. During the divorce proceedings, her financial literacy became a focal point. She knew the value of the lifestyle she helped maintain, and she knew the value of her own brand's history.
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What You Can Learn from Her Business Model
Even if Cat Bag Couture isn't a household name in 2026, the strategy Christine used is a textbook example of "niche solving."
- Identify the Frustration: She couldn't find a pretty laptop bag.
- Use Your Network: She didn't shy away from using her connections to get the brand in front of the right people.
- Prioritize Quality Over Quantity: By keeping the brand in boutiques rather than big-box stores, she maintained a "cool factor" that lasted for years.
The New Chapter
Today, Christine has moved on. Her marriage to Josh Connor in 2025 marked a definitive end to the "Costner Era." While she hasn't announced a major relaunch of her handbag line, her influence on the "functional luxury" niche remains.
She proved that you can be more than one thing at once. A model. A designer. A business student. A mother.
If you're looking to track down one of her original designs, your best bet is to set alerts on high-end resale sites. Look for the "C.B.C" labels or the gold metal cat-head tags. They’re a piece of mid-2000s fashion history that reminds us that behind the tabloid covers, there was a woman who actually knew how to build a brand from the ground up.
If you’re interested in following her current style or business moves, keep an eye on the Santa Barbara social scene. She’s famously private—no public Instagram or TikTok—so the best way to see what she's doing next is through the small, high-end charity events she still supports in California and Colorado.