For Sujin, handbags aren’t sewn—they’re constructed. Trained as an architect, she approaches her brand, Elemood, with the same principles she’d apply to a building: structural integrity, simplicity, and form as function. With no fashion or sewing background, she pioneered designs like the Mono bag—crafted from a single piece of material—and the Expert, made from one repeated pattern, creating sculptural pieces unlike anything in the market.
After a decade of success, Sujin nearly walked away from her business—until an Italian brand strategist and Japanese designer Kasumi reignited her vision. Now, their partnership blends Japanese minimalism, Thai craftsmanship, and architectural precision into award-winning designs like the Blossom Series, while navigating a shift from traditional exports to U.S. wholesale.
💡 Key Takeaways:
- An outsider’s perspective can be a creative advantage.
- Structural thinking leads to distinctive, lasting designs.
- Collaboration works best when partners fill each other’s gaps.
- Revitalizing a brand sometimes means rethinking the business model.
🎧 Listen for a story of reinvention, partnership, and pushing the boundaries of handbag design.
Our Guest:
Sujin Osatarayakul is the founder and creative mind behind Elemood, an award-winning brand merging architectural construction with functional accessories. Her work, with her partner Kazumi Takahashi challenges traditional handbag-making by treating each design as a building—crafted for beauty, utility, and longevity.
#Elemood #ArchitecturalDesign #HandbagDesigner101 #WomenInBusiness #DesignInnovation #FunctionalArt #CreativePartnership #LuxuryAccessories
Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.
Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at
Youtube: / Handbagdesigner101-ihda | Instagram:/ Handbagdesigner
TikTok: / Handbagdesigner | Twitter: / Handbagdesigner
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
She works the process of making which I cannot sew,
so she can fill up what I cannot, right.
So I think this is the way thepartner should be that we don't
do the same thing.
So she has good at this thingand then she takes care of that.
I can focus the rest.
(00:21):
So now we kind of like have adesign concept together and then
she will do to make it happenand we will support by
production in Thailand.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hi and welcome to Handbag Designer 101, the
podcast, with your host, emilyBlumenthal, handbag industry
expert and the handbag fairygodmother.
Each week, we uncover thestories behind the handbags we
love, from the iconic brands andtop designers to the creativity
, craftsmanship and culture thatdefine the handbag world.
Whether you're a designer,collector or simply passionate
(00:56):
about handbags, this is yourfront row seat to it all welcome
.
Welcome, sujin osata rayakunfrom elemood to handbag designer
(01:16):
101, the podcast.
Sujin, are you in japan rightnow?
I'm in bangkok, bangkok, okay,right, yes, oh, my goodness,
this is so cool.
As you and I were speakingbefore and just to give our
listeners some updates, elamoodand I can't wait for everybody
to look it up.
Whether this goes before orafter, will be at it.
Bag X, new York Now make sureyou walk the show and if you
(01:44):
hear this after, make sure youcheck out the brand, because the
bags are probably the mostunique bags I've seen in a
really, really long time and I'mso excited.
We're connected because thewhole premise of this podcast is
to find designers, to heartheir stories, to get inspired.
(02:04):
But really, you know what yourbags look like.
They don't look like typicalbags, they look like functional
pieces of art.
So I'm sorry I'm totallymonopolizing this.
But welcome Sujin, I'm so happyto have you here.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yes, thank you, emily , for having me here today.
Yeah, yeah, I'm so excited too,yeah, how did this all?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
like?
You clearly were not a handbagdesigner before, because the way
the bags look, they arestructural, they are look like
flowers.
How did you?
And are you from Thailand?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Well, yes, actually I am architect by training,
training.
I cannot sew fashion designer.
I don't have that kind ofbackground.
So it happened that I started abusiness 20 years ago.
We started another companybefore called Good Job.
It's like more gift-orientedand colorful, playful.
(03:01):
But after that we evolved moreinto a bag.
Because when we do the productat the beginning we have a
constraint that we need toutilize the material.
So how to use the material upvery fast, and so we come up
with an idea that we need to doa larger piece.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
So, with his bag, you started your own business 20
years ago?
Mm-hmm, yeah, no, I just like.
Because did you start yourbusiness on your own 20 years
ago, or did you have a day jobor you went straight to work for
yourself?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I started like just only like a small shop, a beach
shop, and why I also practice asan architect.
Like everyone most people theyhave a dream.
Like you want to open a cafe orto open a small shop.
I'm one of that too.
So I have a dream that be myown boss.
So I just started a smallbusiness with a stationery, yeah
(04:05):
, and but after a while Istarted making bags which I
cannot sew.
So we approached the bag makingprocess by architectural
background as a foundation toapproach the bag.
So instead of look at the wayhow it's sold, I just look at,
(04:26):
like the building, that, howit's built, how to build a bag
instead of how to sell the bag.
So this is how we start ourdesign philosophy.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Can I just ask you a crazy question Do you have
siblings?
Yes, what number child are you?
I'm the middle child, that'swhy.
So I have this theory aboutmiddle children.
They're either hustlers orhyphens, meaning they're the
ones who will take the mostrisks, they're the ones who will
be the most bold, they're theones who will do things that
(04:59):
just to everybody else seem likehuge risk, or they'll be the
ones who will hide in the couchand you'll never see them again
because they're not motivated,because being a middle child,
that puts you in a very weirdlike do I blend in or do I
escape and stand out?
Because to become an architect,that's a lot of school, that's a
lot of rigor, that's a lot ofrigor, that's a lot of work.
(05:22):
And then to go through all ofthat to open up a stationary
boutique, it's like risk, risk,a lot of work, risk, like none
of the pieces fit together.
Truly, if you were to look atit from a parent point of view,
right, did your parents thinkyou were crazy?
Like what are you doing?
Or were they like great job,Sujin, amazing, open that
boutique.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Well, maybe because my parents is a business owner,
so they quite agree if I happento be my own boss.
He says, okay, let's do it.
And so when I told her that Iwant to start a back business,
he said, okay, there is noexpire, so good, you don't have
to keep expiring on stock orsomething like that.
(06:04):
And she's agree and she'salready supported too.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
So yeah, because to go from stationary to handbags,
it's like one thing has reallynothing to do with the other,
but the origin story of how manypeople, how most of us, end up
in handbags.
It's like you get this idea andyou think, oh, this would be
interesting, and it kind oftakes the responsible, the
(06:31):
methodical, the organized personand turns them into kind of
like a possessed monster.
Like I get this idea and I gotto make it and I got to bring it
to market and you know, all therationality and logic goes out
the window to create thisproduct.
Because if you're going to dosomething like this, that's not
what you are experienced in,it's not what you're trained in
(06:54):
and the product doesn't looklike anything else.
The whole idea of like OK,who's my customer?
How am I going to sell it?
Who are my competition, like somany of those things that in a
normal way are kind of out thewindow.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I don't have any business plan.
I just do it because I want totry and it's just like exploring
something you're learning andyou get another degree and to
doing business and I think it'skind of fun because I have a lot
of interest since I was youngand to like for the fine
(07:28):
stationery.
So the first bag that I made isactually a laptop bag, a bag
that at that time, and we alsostart from a small station like
a laptop case or an agenda, andso it's more like something to
hold a piece of object.
And I don't think it's morelike something to hold a piece
of object.
And I don't think it'sdifficult because I'm doing
(07:49):
things much larger inarchitecture, much more
complicated, like I start from alarger scale and when I'm doing
a small scale, like a productor a bag, I think it's
achievable.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
And.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I have no fear to do that and my experience that I
don't have experience to knowhow to sew.
So I just try to look at thebag in a different way to see
the construction, the form, andI question myself that why bag
has so many patterns?
How can we do bag with reallysimple way to construct it
(08:26):
without just a few pieces?
And then I came up with an ideathat, okay, we should do a bat
in a modular concept, just likeyou build geodesic dome of
Bachminter Fuller, a geodesicdome that he used a triangle
interconnected to become aspherical shape that contained a
(08:48):
big volume.
So that is the same way thatyou try to build a bag, not sew
the bag, to make it in differentshape, and to just try to find
a way to build a bag.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
I'm excited to share my new book with you.
Welcome to Savvy Susanna'sAmazing Adventures in Handbags
and the Start of Susanna'sTriumphant Journey to Become a
Young Handbag Designer.
Filled with ingenuity, fun anda hint of steam, susanna will
inspire children and youeverywhere to follow their
dreams and put in the hard workto get there.
Savvy Susanna is available onAmazon, barnes, noble or
(09:22):
wherever you get your books.
Thanks for your support.
To make a no-sew sew bag like abag that doesn't require sewing
.
Your bags have seams, thoughthey're sewn right.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Yes, yes, yes, at the beginning, before this series,
we call it Blossom Series.
Before the Blossom Series, Istarted with a very simple bag
Like this one.
It's like we call this monobecause it's made from a single
piece, a single piece of bagthat no bottom part, no side, no
(09:57):
front, so it's just one piece.
So we try to simplify.
And this one also wow, samepiece of a square, but you are
connected in the diagonal way,and so it's use one pattern,
four pieces, right, and that'sit.
Yeah, we call expert this model.
(10:19):
So something is be more of playwith the construction of the
bag than the pattern or shape,or to make the structure to
create its own shape.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Wow, Did you when you started your bag line?
Did you still have yourstationary store?
Did you still have the boutique?
Yeah, yeah.
So was it one of those thingsthat you did a pivot from
stationery to bags, or you keptthe stationery going and then
said, okay, let's do both.
(10:54):
How did you divide your efforts?
Speaker 1 (10:57):
It's getting less and less because people's interest
in stationery is getting less.
In the last 10 years Like I'vebeen doing this business for 20
years, but the first 10 yearsand the era of agenda or
portfolio, so people still usepaper for presentation, so
(11:18):
there's some demand.
But in the last 10 years, alldigital, so no more portfolio,
book or agenda required.
So we dropped that line anddeveloped more back design and
in 2018, we did an exhibition inJapan.
(11:40):
And that's when I met Kasumi,one of my co-founder of the
Elemood.
So we've been talking.
She's a hat designer before.
So and she just came to me andasked if she can intern with me.
Oh, wow, and I was like what?
I've never had an intern beforebecause I work with some
(12:02):
designers in Thailand, butJapanese I never worked.
But after we talked and I askedwhy she decided to work with us
and she saw our bag the BostonSealy because we got the G-Mark
Award, and so she just like wentto the award and see which bag
she liked, to work with whichcompany, and then she interested
(12:24):
to work with us and okay, thenlet's try.
And after working together fora few years, then I can see that
her minimalist aesthetic andJapanese refinement that can
help shaping our design, andshe's like a bridge between the
(12:46):
refinement of the Japanese andthe craftsmanship of the
skillful, of the craftsmanshipof Thailand.
So we didn't start Ella Mood.
I started a company in Japanand then we later rebranded to
Ella Moore.
Was that?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
weird to have a partner Like especially if
you've been working by yourselfand you know you making all the
decisions.
It's such a hard thing to doand I don't want to say later in
life but later in your business, be like, you know what I'm
taking on a partner and Iunderstand she was passionate.
You know you appreciated herperspective, her aesthetic, what
(13:24):
made you decide, okay, I'mready for a partner on this,
were you like, okay, I can't dothis alone, or I'm so excited to
have someone who's just asexcited as I am.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Well, I worked with some Thai designer before, but
it was like after 10 years thatI almost give up and stop.
It's just like your question atthe beginning, that after three
and a half years and then whatthat question pop up.
But that's after 10 years,because in the first 10 years
(13:56):
I've been through exhibition,new collection every six months,
go to a trade show in Europe,in Japan and everywhere.
We won the award.
We have a trading panel in manycountries, right, we've been
through everything and it's likeI have a feeling that I'm done
(14:17):
and I don't want to do anything.
I want to go back to myarchitecture thing and you were
burnt out, yeah, kind of.
So it's nothing interesting tome anymore.
It's like repeating and repeat,like that.
But then it's funny that I metone guy.
He's an Italian, he called abrand strategy, and I met him in
(14:38):
Thailand.
He actually my tenant, I havean apartment for rent.
Then everything you know, thepeople who came up to my life is
all by accident.
They were planned before and Imet this guy and then we have a
talk and what are you doing?
And he's oh, he's a brandstrategy from Milano and he
worked for many brands Italianbrand, furniture brand, and so
(15:00):
we have a very nice talk.
And then I told him that, oh, Ihave this bag, but I am getting
bored and I don't want to do itanymore.
And then he, okay, let me takea look.
And then he wrote me after acouple of days the whole
analysis about my brand that,hey, I think you have a
(15:20):
potential, you should do this,you should do a new website, you
should do this, you shouldrebrand your logo design.
And after talking I couldn'tsleep all night.
I'm getting so excited againand it's just like a new life
and I say, okay, let's do it.
And then let's.
I mean, like he can point outmany things and I can see that
(15:43):
right, and there's, it's justlike I come in the halfway and
there's a long way at the end,so it keep me alive again, and
so at that time it's.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
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If you have a handbag brand andneed strategy and direction,
this is for you.
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(16:19):
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(16:40):
For the past 20 years, I've beenteaching at the top fashion
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(17:21):
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Everything came together, right.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
And then okay, let's try.
But when I met Hatsumichi, hesaid like work as an intern.
But when I met her husband, shesaid like work as an intern.
And we just thought that, okay,how about you come, you create
a new collection and also refinewhat we have.
And then I saw how she workedthe process of making which I
(17:56):
cannot sew, so she can fill upwhat I cannot, right.
So I think this is the way thepartner should be, that we don't
do the same thing, so she hasgood at this thing and then she
take care of that.
I can focus the rest.
So now we kind of like have adesign concept together and then
(18:20):
she will do to make it happenand we will support by
production in Thailand.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I did the Handbag Awards for 15 years and one of
the biggest takeaways was thenecessity of community.
Because to be a brand owner andI can only speak, I speak
handbag right To have your ownbrand, it's exhausting, it's
lonely, it's isolating, itdepletes you, it leaves your
(18:50):
tank empty, like cause.
It's a constant.
You know you're constantlygoing in a circle and it never
ends Like okay, I've sold somebags, now I need to make some
bags, but I, you know it'sfinding the joy of it.
After you've done the loop overand over and over again for so
long, it's hard and, like yousaid that, all these people that
(19:11):
came in your life at that timelike here you have your brand
strategist tenant, who's Italian, then you meet Kazumi, who
loves what you're doing, and youknow the need to have community
and have people who find joy inwhat you're doing.
It's like that's where you getthe joy back to what you came up
(19:34):
with to begin with.
You know what I mean.
It's like we need these peoplearound us to keep us going and
you know because, at the end ofthe day, what's a handbag right?
Every second person needs one,wants one, and it's harder and
harder, as everybody says everyday, to sell, to market, to find
(19:56):
the customer, to keep thecustomer.
So, because there's so muchthat goes into it, right, if
someone looks at your product,the first thing they want, the
first thing that attracts them,is how does the bag look?
They look at the bag, thenthey'll look at the price, then
they'll look at what it's madeof and then they'll look, if
(20:17):
it's online, what the shippingcost is.
If they're smart, they'll lookat what the designer has, the
return policy, and only thenwill they ever make it to look
about you.
What's your practices?
How are you sustainable?
How are the bags made?
What's you know?
What's the inspiration?
So the fact that you've beenable to do this as long as you
(20:38):
have and now get this likerebirth right, like relaunch
rebirth, like phase two, three,four, five, six, is pretty
amazing, because you seem reallyexcited about what you're doing
and your bags.
They're joyful, they'rebeautiful, you look at them and
they make you happy and I thinkthe fact that you've been able
(20:58):
to do all that is reallyincredible.
I'm so excited you're going tobe here in New York with us so
more people, because you saidthis is like you're new to the
US.
Just, you've only been in theUS for a few years, just kind of
dipping your toe in with themarket here, so bringing your
bags to the US is kind of new,right, right, right, yes, so
(21:21):
you're excited for more peopleto find out about your bags, to
see them.
I think it's.
It's really special.
How did you start bringing themto Europe?
Was that more Kazumi, was thatyou, or was it?
Ok, we're focused on Asia and,wow, because of social media,
people found us Like how did allthat come to be?
Because, being in Thailand andJapan and winning all these
(21:43):
awards, that's Asia.
So how were you able to take itfurther, outside of where you
are?
Speaker 1 (21:50):
When I started.
We have like export departmentof Thailand.
They support the exporter.
So I joined the trade showinternational trade show also,
and they support the boothSabbath, the Booth fee in
Frankfurt, in Paris and so manymany international fair.
(22:11):
So that's how we exportourselves to the EU market.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Okay, you knew trade shows were the answer.
That was the answer for you toget noticed outside of where you
are.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Right, yeah, but that was 10 years ago.
So after, like I told you,after 10 years that I started to
almost give up, the tradinglandscape had changed.
I mean, before there's like abig distributor and they buy
from you a lot in a containerand they distribute in their own
(22:45):
country, but now it's more likeB2C because of the internet, so
that's no longer a distributor,because people don't want to
invest a lot.
They don't want to keep a lot ofstock.
So all these distributors aregone, like what I have the first
10 years.
They're all gone, so we have tostart.
(23:07):
That's one of the reasons thatwe start our rebranding with
Marco.
He's the Italian giant, becausehe helped me develop the
website and also taught me howto set the price.
And he said okay, you should dothe price all inclusive
Everything, shipping.
Don't do price and ad blah,blah, blah.
(23:28):
And that is a very good advice,because people make decision
right away that how much theyhave to pay, right, and we cover
everything door to door.
So we develop our own platformonline store.
So now we sell more to directand customer.
But to come to the US is alsoour new channel too, because
(23:53):
here we see the opportunity thatwe can see the wholesaler, and
that is a new channel for usbecause we never, yeah, have
this before.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Oh my goodness, sujin , this has been so exciting.
I can't wait for people hereand everywhere to learn more,
seeing more, see more aboutelemood.
How can we find you, follow youand see your beautiful bags?
If you're not watching this onYouTube, you should be, just in
case, how can we find you andfollow you?
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Okay, our Instagram is elemoodofficial and our
website is elemoodcom.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
And it's E-L-E-M-O-O-D.
Yes, okay, amazing, sujin,thank you so much for joining us
, and if you're not going to theJavits Center in New York
August 3rd through 5th, do yourbest, try to walk the show.
Walking the show is soimportant.
You wanted to say one morething.
Oh, yeah, expect to meet youthere too.
(24:52):
Yeah, oh, my goodness, I can'twait.
That's what I was saying aboutcommunity that the more we
connect as handbag designers,the less lonely we are and the
more likely we are to besuccessful, because we need each
other.
There's enough handbags foreverybody to go around, so I
(25:12):
think it's our job to support,to uplift and to take care of
each other.
So I'm just so excited to haveyou here in New York.
Thank you so much for joiningus.
Thank you, emily.
Thanks for listening.
Don't forget to rate and reviewand follow us on every single
platform at Handbag Designer.
Thanks so much.
See you next time.
She works the process of making which I cannot sew,
so she can fill up what I cannot, right.
So I think this is the way thepartner should be that we don't
do the same thing.
So she has good at this thingand then she takes care of that.
I can focus the rest.
(00:21):
So now we kind of like have adesign concept together and then
she will do to make it happenand we will support by
production in Thailand.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hi and welcome to Handbag Designer 101, the
podcast, with your host, emilyBlumenthal, handbag industry
expert and the handbag fairygodmother.
Each week, we uncover thestories behind the handbags we
love, from the iconic brands andtop designers to the creativity
, craftsmanship and culture thatdefine the handbag world.
Whether you're a designer,collector or simply passionate
(00:56):
about handbags, this is yourfront row seat to it all welcome
.
Welcome, sujin osata rayakunfrom elemood to handbag designer
(01:16):
101, the podcast.
Sujin, are you in japan rightnow?
I'm in bangkok, bangkok, okay,right, yes, oh, my goodness,
this is so cool.
As you and I were speakingbefore and just to give our
listeners some updates, elamoodand I can't wait for everybody
to look it up.
Whether this goes before orafter, will be at it.
Bag X, new York Now make sureyou walk the show and if you
(01:44):
hear this after, make sure youcheck out the brand, because the
bags are probably the mostunique bags I've seen in a
really, really long time and I'mso excited.
We're connected because thewhole premise of this podcast is
to find designers, to heartheir stories, to get inspired.
(02:04):
But really, you know what yourbags look like.
They don't look like typicalbags, they look like functional
pieces of art.
So I'm sorry I'm totallymonopolizing this.
But welcome Sujin, I'm so happyto have you here.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yes, thank you, emily , for having me here today.
Yeah, yeah, I'm so excited too,yeah, how did this all?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
like?
You clearly were not a handbagdesigner before, because the way
the bags look, they arestructural, they are look like
flowers.
How did you?
And are you from Thailand?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Well, yes, actually I am architect by training,
training.
I cannot sew fashion designer.
I don't have that kind ofbackground.
So it happened that I started abusiness 20 years ago.
We started another companybefore called Good Job.
It's like more gift-orientedand colorful, playful.
(03:01):
But after that we evolved moreinto a bag.
Because when we do the productat the beginning we have a
constraint that we need toutilize the material.
So how to use the material upvery fast, and so we come up
with an idea that we need to doa larger piece.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
So, with his bag, you started your own business 20
years ago?
Mm-hmm, yeah, no, I just like.
Because did you start yourbusiness on your own 20 years
ago, or did you have a day jobor you went straight to work for
yourself?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I started like just only like a small shop, a beach
shop, and why I also practice asan architect.
Like everyone most people theyhave a dream.
Like you want to open a cafe orto open a small shop.
I'm one of that too.
So I have a dream that be myown boss.
So I just started a smallbusiness with a stationery, yeah
(04:05):
, and but after a while Istarted making bags which I
cannot sew.
So we approached the bag makingprocess by architectural
background as a foundation toapproach the bag.
So instead of look at the wayhow it's sold, I just look at,
(04:26):
like the building, that, howit's built, how to build a bag
instead of how to sell the bag.
So this is how we start ourdesign philosophy.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Can I just ask you a crazy question Do you have
siblings?
Yes, what number child are you?
I'm the middle child, that'swhy.
So I have this theory aboutmiddle children.
They're either hustlers orhyphens, meaning they're the
ones who will take the mostrisks, they're the ones who will
be the most bold, they're theones who will do things that
(04:59):
just to everybody else seem likehuge risk, or they'll be the
ones who will hide in the couchand you'll never see them again
because they're not motivated,because being a middle child,
that puts you in a very weirdlike do I blend in or do I
escape and stand out?
Because to become an architect,that's a lot of school, that's a
lot of rigor, that's a lot ofrigor, that's a lot of work.
(05:22):
And then to go through all ofthat to open up a stationary
boutique, it's like risk, risk,a lot of work, risk, like none
of the pieces fit together.
Truly, if you were to look atit from a parent point of view,
right, did your parents thinkyou were crazy?
Like what are you doing?
Or were they like great job,Sujin, amazing, open that
boutique.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Well, maybe because my parents is a business owner,
so they quite agree if I happento be my own boss.
He says, okay, let's do it.
And so when I told her that Iwant to start a back business,
he said, okay, there is noexpire, so good, you don't have
to keep expiring on stock orsomething like that.
(06:04):
And she's agree and she'salready supported too.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
So yeah, because to go from stationary to handbags,
it's like one thing has reallynothing to do with the other,
but the origin story of how manypeople, how most of us, end up
in handbags.
It's like you get this idea andyou think, oh, this would be
interesting, and it kind oftakes the responsible, the
(06:31):
methodical, the organized personand turns them into kind of
like a possessed monster.
Like I get this idea and I gotto make it and I got to bring it
to market and you know, all therationality and logic goes out
the window to create thisproduct.
Because if you're going to dosomething like this, that's not
what you are experienced in,it's not what you're trained in
(06:54):
and the product doesn't looklike anything else.
The whole idea of like OK,who's my customer?
How am I going to sell it?
Who are my competition, like somany of those things that in a
normal way are kind of out thewindow.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I don't have any business plan.
I just do it because I want totry and it's just like exploring
something you're learning andyou get another degree and to
doing business and I think it'skind of fun because I have a lot
of interest since I was youngand to like for the fine
(07:28):
stationery.
So the first bag that I made isactually a laptop bag, a bag
that at that time, and we alsostart from a small station like
a laptop case or an agenda, andso it's more like something to
hold a piece of object.
And I don't think it's morelike something to hold a piece
of object.
And I don't think it'sdifficult because I'm doing
(07:49):
things much larger inarchitecture, much more
complicated, like I start from alarger scale and when I'm doing
a small scale, like a productor a bag, I think it's
achievable.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
And.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I have no fear to do that and my experience that I
don't have experience to knowhow to sew.
So I just try to look at thebag in a different way to see
the construction, the form, andI question myself that why bag
has so many patterns?
How can we do bag with reallysimple way to construct it
(08:26):
without just a few pieces?
And then I came up with an ideathat, okay, we should do a bat
in a modular concept, just likeyou build geodesic dome of
Bachminter Fuller, a geodesicdome that he used a triangle
interconnected to become aspherical shape that contained a
(08:48):
big volume.
So that is the same way thatyou try to build a bag, not sew
the bag, to make it in differentshape, and to just try to find
a way to build a bag.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
I'm excited to share my new book with you.
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and the Start of Susanna'sTriumphant Journey to Become a
Young Handbag Designer.
Filled with ingenuity, fun anda hint of steam, susanna will
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dreams and put in the hard workto get there.
Savvy Susanna is available onAmazon, barnes, noble or
(09:22):
wherever you get your books.
Thanks for your support.
To make a no-sew sew bag like abag that doesn't require sewing
.
Your bags have seams, thoughthey're sewn right.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Yes, yes, yes, at the beginning, before this series,
we call it Blossom Series.
Before the Blossom Series, Istarted with a very simple bag
Like this one.
It's like we call this monobecause it's made from a single
piece, a single piece of bagthat no bottom part, no side, no
(09:57):
front, so it's just one piece.
So we try to simplify.
And this one also wow, samepiece of a square, but you are
connected in the diagonal way,and so it's use one pattern,
four pieces, right, and that'sit.
Yeah, we call expert this model.
(10:19):
So something is be more of playwith the construction of the
bag than the pattern or shape,or to make the structure to
create its own shape.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Wow, Did you when you started your bag line?
Did you still have yourstationary store?
Did you still have the boutique?
Yeah, yeah.
So was it one of those thingsthat you did a pivot from
stationery to bags, or you keptthe stationery going and then
said, okay, let's do both.
(10:54):
How did you divide your efforts?
Speaker 1 (10:57):
It's getting less and less because people's interest
in stationery is getting less.
In the last 10 years Like I'vebeen doing this business for 20
years, but the first 10 yearsand the era of agenda or
portfolio, so people still usepaper for presentation, so
(11:18):
there's some demand.
But in the last 10 years, alldigital, so no more portfolio,
book or agenda required.
So we dropped that line anddeveloped more back design and
in 2018, we did an exhibition inJapan.
(11:40):
And that's when I met Kasumi,one of my co-founder of the
Elemood.
So we've been talking.
She's a hat designer before.
So and she just came to me andasked if she can intern with me.
Oh, wow, and I was like what?
I've never had an intern beforebecause I work with some
(12:02):
designers in Thailand, butJapanese I never worked.
But after we talked and I askedwhy she decided to work with us
and she saw our bag the BostonSealy because we got the G-Mark
Award, and so she just like wentto the award and see which bag
she liked, to work with whichcompany, and then she interested
(12:24):
to work with us and okay, thenlet's try.
And after working together fora few years, then I can see that
her minimalist aesthetic andJapanese refinement that can
help shaping our design, andshe's like a bridge between the
(12:46):
refinement of the Japanese andthe craftsmanship of the
skillful, of the craftsmanshipof Thailand.
So we didn't start Ella Mood.
I started a company in Japanand then we later rebranded to
Ella Moore.
Was that?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
weird to have a partner Like especially if
you've been working by yourselfand you know you making all the
decisions.
It's such a hard thing to doand I don't want to say later in
life but later in your business, be like, you know what I'm
taking on a partner and Iunderstand she was passionate.
You know you appreciated herperspective, her aesthetic, what
(13:24):
made you decide, okay, I'mready for a partner on this,
were you like, okay, I can't dothis alone, or I'm so excited to
have someone who's just asexcited as I am.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Well, I worked with some Thai designer before, but
it was like after 10 years thatI almost give up and stop.
It's just like your question atthe beginning, that after three
and a half years and then whatthat question pop up.
But that's after 10 years,because in the first 10 years
(13:56):
I've been through exhibition,new collection every six months,
go to a trade show in Europe,in Japan and everywhere.
We won the award.
We have a trading panel in manycountries, right, we've been
through everything and it's likeI have a feeling that I'm done
(14:17):
and I don't want to do anything.
I want to go back to myarchitecture thing and you were
burnt out, yeah, kind of.
So it's nothing interesting tome anymore.
It's like repeating and repeat,like that.
But then it's funny that I metone guy.
He's an Italian, he called abrand strategy, and I met him in
(14:38):
Thailand.
He actually my tenant, I havean apartment for rent.
Then everything you know, thepeople who came up to my life is
all by accident.
They were planned before and Imet this guy and then we have a
talk and what are you doing?
And he's oh, he's a brandstrategy from Milano and he
worked for many brands Italianbrand, furniture brand, and so
(15:00):
we have a very nice talk.
And then I told him that, oh, Ihave this bag, but I am getting
bored and I don't want to do itanymore.
And then he, okay, let me takea look.
And then he wrote me after acouple of days the whole
analysis about my brand that,hey, I think you have a
(15:20):
potential, you should do this,you should do a new website, you
should do this, you shouldrebrand your logo design.
And after talking I couldn'tsleep all night.
I'm getting so excited againand it's just like a new life
and I say, okay, let's do it.
And then let's.
I mean, like he can point outmany things and I can see that
(15:43):
right, and there's, it's justlike I come in the halfway and
there's a long way at the end,so it keep me alive again, and
so at that time it's.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I also met casually too if you ever wanted to start
a handbag brand and didn't knowwhere to start, this is for you.
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this is for you.
I'm Emily Blumenthal, handbagdesigner expert and handbag
(16:19):
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Over the next 10 classes, Iwill break down everything you
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to avoid the learning curve ofcostly mistakes.
(16:40):
For the past 20 years, I've beenteaching at the top fashion
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So let's get started and you'llbe the creator of the next it
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(17:21):
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Everything came together, right.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
And then okay, let's try.
But when I met Hatsumichi, hesaid like work as an intern.
But when I met her husband, shesaid like work as an intern.
And we just thought that, okay,how about you come, you create
a new collection and also refinewhat we have.
And then I saw how she workedthe process of making which I
(17:56):
cannot sew, so she can fill upwhat I cannot, right.
So I think this is the way thepartner should be, that we don't
do the same thing, so she hasgood at this thing and then she
take care of that.
I can focus the rest.
So now we kind of like have adesign concept together and then
(18:20):
she will do to make it happenand we will support by
production in Thailand.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I did the Handbag Awards for 15 years and one of
the biggest takeaways was thenecessity of community.
Because to be a brand owner andI can only speak, I speak
handbag right To have your ownbrand, it's exhausting, it's
lonely, it's isolating, itdepletes you, it leaves your
(18:50):
tank empty, like cause.
It's a constant.
You know you're constantlygoing in a circle and it never
ends Like okay, I've sold somebags, now I need to make some
bags, but I, you know it'sfinding the joy of it.
After you've done the loop overand over and over again for so
long, it's hard and, like yousaid that, all these people that
(19:11):
came in your life at that timelike here you have your brand
strategist tenant, who's Italian, then you meet Kazumi, who
loves what you're doing, and youknow the need to have community
and have people who find joy inwhat you're doing.
It's like that's where you getthe joy back to what you came up
(19:34):
with to begin with.
You know what I mean.
It's like we need these peoplearound us to keep us going and
you know because, at the end ofthe day, what's a handbag right?
Every second person needs one,wants one, and it's harder and
harder, as everybody says everyday, to sell, to market, to find
(19:56):
the customer, to keep thecustomer.
So, because there's so muchthat goes into it, right, if
someone looks at your product,the first thing they want, the
first thing that attracts them,is how does the bag look?
They look at the bag, thenthey'll look at the price, then
they'll look at what it's madeof and then they'll look, if
(20:17):
it's online, what the shippingcost is.
If they're smart, they'll lookat what the designer has, the
return policy, and only thenwill they ever make it to look
about you.
What's your practices?
How are you sustainable?
How are the bags made?
What's you know?
What's the inspiration?
So the fact that you've beenable to do this as long as you
(20:38):
have and now get this likerebirth right, like relaunch
rebirth, like phase two, three,four, five, six, is pretty
amazing, because you seem reallyexcited about what you're doing
and your bags.
They're joyful, they'rebeautiful, you look at them and
they make you happy and I thinkthe fact that you've been able
(20:58):
to do all that is reallyincredible.
I'm so excited you're going tobe here in New York with us so
more people, because you saidthis is like you're new to the
US.
Just, you've only been in theUS for a few years, just kind of
dipping your toe in with themarket here, so bringing your
bags to the US is kind of new,right, right, right, yes, so
(21:21):
you're excited for more peopleto find out about your bags, to
see them.
I think it's.
It's really special.
How did you start bringing themto Europe?
Was that more Kazumi, was thatyou, or was it?
Ok, we're focused on Asia and,wow, because of social media,
people found us Like how did allthat come to be?
Because, being in Thailand andJapan and winning all these
(21:43):
awards, that's Asia.
So how were you able to take itfurther, outside of where you
are?
Speaker 1 (21:50):
When I started.
We have like export departmentof Thailand.
They support the exporter.
So I joined the trade showinternational trade show also,
and they support the boothSabbath, the Booth fee in
Frankfurt, in Paris and so manymany international fair.
(22:11):
So that's how we exportourselves to the EU market.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Okay, you knew trade shows were the answer.
That was the answer for you toget noticed outside of where you
are.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Right, yeah, but that was 10 years ago.
So after, like I told you,after 10 years that I started to
almost give up, the tradinglandscape had changed.
I mean, before there's like abig distributor and they buy
from you a lot in a containerand they distribute in their own
(22:45):
country, but now it's more likeB2C because of the internet, so
that's no longer a distributor,because people don't want to
invest a lot.
They don't want to keep a lot ofstock.
So all these distributors aregone, like what I have the first
10 years.
They're all gone, so we have tostart.
(23:07):
That's one of the reasons thatwe start our rebranding with
Marco.
He's the Italian giant, becausehe helped me develop the
website and also taught me howto set the price.
And he said okay, you should dothe price all inclusive
Everything, shipping.
Don't do price and ad blah,blah, blah.
(23:28):
And that is a very good advice,because people make decision
right away that how much theyhave to pay, right, and we cover
everything door to door.
So we develop our own platformonline store.
So now we sell more to directand customer.
But to come to the US is alsoour new channel too, because
(23:53):
here we see the opportunity thatwe can see the wholesaler, and
that is a new channel for usbecause we never, yeah, have
this before.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Oh my goodness, sujin , this has been so exciting.
I can't wait for people hereand everywhere to learn more,
seeing more, see more aboutelemood.
How can we find you, follow youand see your beautiful bags?
If you're not watching this onYouTube, you should be, just in
case, how can we find you andfollow you?
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Okay, our Instagram is elemoodofficial and our
website is elemoodcom.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
And it's E-L-E-M-O-O-D.
Yes, okay, amazing, sujin,thank you so much for joining us
, and if you're not going to theJavits Center in New York
August 3rd through 5th, do yourbest, try to walk the show.
Walking the show is soimportant.
You wanted to say one morething.
Oh, yeah, expect to meet youthere too.
(24:52):
Yeah, oh, my goodness, I can'twait.
That's what I was saying aboutcommunity that the more we
connect as handbag designers,the less lonely we are and the
more likely we are to besuccessful, because we need each
other.
There's enough handbags foreverybody to go around, so I
(25:12):
think it's our job to support,to uplift and to take care of
each other.
So I'm just so excited to haveyou here in New York.
Thank you so much for joiningus.
Thank you, emily.
Thanks for listening.
Don't forget to rate and reviewand follow us on every single
platform at Handbag Designer.
Thanks so much.
See you next time.
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