Hero Bags
Role: Founder, Designer, Brand Development
As Founder and Creative Director, I established Hero Bags, a soft goods brand built on a foundation of American craftsmanship, utility, and design. From 2009 to 2014, I spearheaded the design and development of Hero Bags, crafting a cohesive product line that included organic cotton lunch bags and award-winning wine totes.
Each piece, constructed by American stitchers using domestically sourced cotton, featured my signature original prints and patterns, reflecting a commitment to sustainable materials, exceptional craftsmanship, and thoughtful design.
By crafting a product brand vision prioritizing quality materials, and craftsmanship, I fostered a strong connection between consumers and the brand's story of sustainable materials and American craftsmanship. This, paired with a product design philosophy emphasizing simplistic and functional original designs successfully drove Hero Bags forward within the competitive food and wine market.
This success was evidenced by securing national distribution with Whole Foods Market, expanding into boutique channels across the US and Japan, and cultivating high-profile collaborations with Eataly NYC and Urban Outfitters, expanding the brand's reach and increasing sales.
Global Retail Partners & Collaborators
Quality Craftsmanship, Original Designs & Brand Connection
The Hero Bags line, made entirely of American-grown and processed cotton, offered a compelling and transparent brand story. I sought partnerships with women-owned stitchers and printers in the US sourcing American-grown organic and recycled cotton to craft an affordable line of superior, US-made tote bags. A strong supplier network and just-in-time manufacturing minimized inventory, overhead, and costs.
Simple, Functional & Unique
Leaning into the brand’s ethos of simplicity through design I created The Two Bottle Tote: A deceptively simple yet highly functional tote constructed of a single piece of a midweight cotton canvas, sewn with an internal gusset fold, allowing for a flat bottom, this paired with a center seam creates the perfect tote to transport two glass bottles securely.
My simple and innovative design proved highly successful, with the tote winning an ID packaging award, widespread popularity, and inspiring numerous imitations within the market.
Creative Brand Collaborations
Under my creative direction, Hero Bags' strength and design capabilities attracted collaborations with wineries and lifestyle brands. Notable creative partnerships include sell-out designs such as a custom-printed insulated lunch bag for Eataly NYC and a two-bottle wine tote for Anthropologie (URBN).
