We have tried and tested a number of bag pillows, over our many years of selling bags. If you think that when we first sold Birkins, a size 35 Birkin was less than £5,000 ($8,000 or €6,000) at Hermes London, and it is now above £8,000 ($10,000). Bag pillows have only been around for a few years, and they are not useful for all bags.
Firstly, consider this: is a bag pillow really needed for your beautiful accessory? Would you really buy an interior liner for a wallet? The answer is probably not. A pillow is a good idea if the bag has a certain amount of interior space which is likely to collapse when not in use, and if the leather is soft. For a small highly structured bag, you don’t really need a pillow. However, if the leather is likely to fold, bend or relax, an interior bolster is a good idea. There are a number of bag pillows on the market. We have tried and tested a few, we have invested in a few, and we have created our own based on years of sampling and stuffing. As the company’s founder, I spent hours and hours with our design goddess Tara: discussing, drawing, designing and debating over months to get them right. These were the key considerations:
Structure and fit for purpose: We wanted a bag pillow that will comfortably fit into a bag and hold it securely. It had to poke into the bottom corners, but still allow the bag to be closed with the pillow inside. On this myself and Tara Gelpey, our design guru, were in complete agreement. But on other considerations we differed and discussions were lengthy:
Safety: it must not hold any scent or moisture. I needed it to be biodegradable but Tara was adamant that care must be taken with natural materials as it must not absorb any scent or moisture.
Made by hand: I wanted them to be made by hand in the UK. Both to support UK industry and to allow local control. With her background in design and manufacturing, Tara was well aware that the UK’s manufacturing base is not strong, not flexible, not speedy, and expensive. I won this round, and we found a number of textile designers and manufacturers and started discussions with them.
Colour: I wanted jaunty colours that would ‘pop’ inside clients’ wardrobes. Colours that would make them happy to see their bags and to use the pillows. Tara opted for trendy, toned down shades that calm the spirit and blend into the background.
Material: My vote was for fun material that would shine and make people smile. Tara preferred material that could be washed with ease and was in no danger of transferring onto any handbags made of pale shades.
And so it went on!!
A year of design and samples later… we believe that we have produced the most fun, handmade, biodegradable and UK-made bag bolsters:
Natural cotton corduroy triangular pillows, with gentle piping to hold the shape, structured but not overly filled pillows in a range of colours. I think the only way you can tell how much we differed in our desires is by the colours.
To please me we produced:
Pink with grey piping. Girly, pretty, understated, pastel. Click here to purchase.
Pink with red piping – my fave. Fun, bold, joyful and confident. Every time you see it you will feel good. Available here.
Red with ivory piping. – Tara called it strawberries and cream. A Wimbledon tennis theme. Available here.
To please herself and the seriously fashionable amongst you, Tara designed:
Grey with ivory piping. Understated elegance. She knew I wouldn’t be able to find fault with this. Buy one here.
Teal with yellow piping. This is clearly the most on-trend option and way beyond my comprehension. Apparently it gives vibes of peace and calm … Again, what can I say? On trend, challenging for me, with bold colours that I can only admire.… Click here to buy.
If you are looking for your own design, or a particular size, we are happy to help. Please call us on 0845 224 8776 or email contact@lilacblue.com to talk to us.