Ladies, Get Psyched To Get Away With Ernest Alexander’s Heritage Weekend Bags
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We are thrilled with all of our Refinery29 Holiday Editions, but we must admit: There is something particularly special about Ernest Alexander's bright overnight tote. Not only is it one of our biggest items, but for Alexander — whose heritage-ready men's items permanently stay on our mental gift guides for the dudes in our lives — the team-up marks a first foray into women's accessories. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention how honored and excited we are that he chose to debut his perfectly crafted ladies' line on Refinery29.
Of course, Alexander has had quite a season, with his menswear launch and a holiday pop-up shop, but in between sourcing USA-made fabrics and keeping our gents well-heeled, he found the time to sit down with us to talk about making a bag for the always-discerning Refinery29 lady. Grab an Ernest Alexander Weekender Bag now, because it'll certainly be a collectible, come the very near future.
Wow! What a great start for a women’s collection! Is designing for women different from designing for men?
"Designing a bag for women was definitely a bit different from our normal design process. Usually, when I start, I just have to ask myself, is this something I would wear? With women's, we needed a different approach. Our design team had to come up with a persona for the Ernest Alexander woman so we could create something that was perfect for her. We wanted to put ourselves in her shoes. With men, there are a lot unspoken rules. They tend to be more conservative and they often carry the same color all year round. For women, we were able to take on a whole new mindset, exploring freely with color, materials, and new shapes. It was pretty exciting and liberating in many ways — the collaboration with Refinery29 actually kickstarted a whole new line for women, debuting this coming spring!
"Designing a bag for women was definitely a bit different from our normal design process. Usually, when I start, I just have to ask myself, is this something I would wear? With women's, we needed a different approach. Our design team had to come up with a persona for the Ernest Alexander woman so we could create something that was perfect for her. We wanted to put ourselves in her shoes. With men, there are a lot unspoken rules. They tend to be more conservative and they often carry the same color all year round. For women, we were able to take on a whole new mindset, exploring freely with color, materials, and new shapes. It was pretty exciting and liberating in many ways — the collaboration with Refinery29 actually kickstarted a whole new line for women, debuting this coming spring!
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