It was a random shopping trip involving bespoke teddy bears
that inspired Lana Hopkins to create Mon Purse, the chic new
design-your-own-bag concept debuting in the U.S. this month. After
unsuccessfully scouring a series of luxury shops in Sydney, Australia, for the
perfect handbag, Hopkins stumbled upon the Build-A-Bear Workshop store in a
local mall and decided to abandon her search and pick up a birthday gift for
her nephew instead. As she set about creating the ideal bear from scratch,
Hopkins became enamored with the sophisticated level of customization that went
into a child’s toy. “I was so excited about building a bear,” admits Hopkins.
“I thought, I’m a 30-year old woman, what’s wrong with me? At that moment, I
wondered how happy my girlfriends and I would be if we could design our own bag
as well.”
Hopkins dove headfirst into researching and developing what
would become Mon Purse, a customizable accessories concept that uses premium
European leathers, all while maintaining an affordable price tag—items range
from a $35 heart-shaped key ring to a $480 classic bowler bag. Armed with
tech-savvy skills, Hopkins mapped out the proprietary 3-D Bag Builder
technology that lets customers see their creations sized to scale. She then
stocked the system with seemingly endless combinations, ranging from the type
of leather (including grainy, smooth, ostrich embossed) right down to the
metallic hardware finishing’s (gold, rose gold, silver, and gunmetal).
Mon Purse’s core collection of handbags, wallets, and small
leather goods was crafted by a team of in-house stylists—including a former
designer at Chloe—that along with Hopkins built a series of boldly
color-blocked templates to guide clients looking for design inspiration.
Hopkins had already factored in a safety net for customers who might get
carried away with all of the customization options and unwittingly creates a
sort of Franken-purse. An algorithm embedded within the site’s 3-D Builder
allows for stylishly sanctioned combinations.
Since launching Mon Purse in Sydney, Hopkins has taken the
online model into high-end department stores with shop-in-shops, like Myer in
Sydney, Selfridges in London, and at the brand’s flagship boutique in
Paddington, Australia. She refers to her brick-and-mortar stores as “Mon Galleries,”
creative spaces where clients can construct their ideal accessory from the
label’s blank canvas styles. “For my creative team and me, it’s not about
dictating but rather about empowering customers with options,” says Hopkins.
As Mon Purse gears up to celebrate its triumphant one-year
anniversary, the brand will make its stateside debut on December 15. Just in
time for all of the finicky folks on your holiday list, Mon Purse will open a
shop-in-shop at Bloomingdale’s, featuring large-format touch screens for those
who want to create their custom piece from scratch, as well as on-site
monogramming for those seeking to take their new bags home immediately. “It’s
about giving people what they want and when they want it,” Hopkins says wisely.
Looks like Mon Purse’s ethos of handing the design reins over to the consumer
might be just the ticket to stress-free gift giving this season.
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