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the birth of the brick bag

The story of the Brick Bag is the end result of multiple different ideas that didn’t know they wanted to ultimately be a functioning fashion accessory.

It started when I first discovered the art of punch needling and rug tufting. I came across Amy Hastings Textiles Instagram and was instantly very intrigued with this art form I wasn’t familiar with. The funny thing is I took a textile surface design course in college and I can’t recall ever learning about it.

But timing is everything because the ideas that followed is what led to the birth of the Brick Bag.

Lock down had started so I consumed all the punch needling content that I could to figure out the best way for me to get started without spending too much money. In Australia, the large punch needling frames are expensive and the idea of taking on a woodworking project to build one didn’t excite me. I opted for a classic Oxford Punch Needle and started small by purchasing a small shadow box frame then knocking out the glass.

Since I’m a photographer first, I’m always looking for random stuff that would make good props or that would spark inspiration for a photo shoot. I have a huge love for nostalgia and was planning a 90’s themed shoot which led me to hunt the internet for a vintage 90’s Nokia phone.

Seeing all the different skins on the Nokia phones made me wish that I could collect them all and that feeling led me to draw my own Nokia inspired phone design that I could turn into a punch needle.

After making my first one, I instantly knew that I had to make more. After making a couple, I started experimenting on different ways they could be used and displayed. I placed one of them on the hoodie I was wearing to see what it would look like as a patch and it was pretty much begging to be a bag.

12 hours later I had my first complete functioning cross body bag and now as they say, the rest is history.

With this story, I hope that it inspires people to pay attention to the little ideas and enjoy the journey, because that really is where the magic happens.