Well Made
Emily Sugihara, Baggu: Making a Really Nice Thing – Well Made E30
November 30, 2017 · RSS · Apple Podcasts
Ten years ago, Baggu made eco-friendly shopping stylish. Their reusable nylon take on the disposable plastic grocery bag is strikingly simple, with new patterns every season. Founder Emily Sugihara says that working within the constraints of simplicity and affordability is where Baggu really flourishes.
In 2007, after designing for J.Crew, Emily bootstrapped Baggu with her mom, Joan. Early on, she considered hiring someone to come in as CEO, but she's really taken the reigns, using creative problem solving to grow the business incrementally.
On this episode of the podcast, Emily talks about designing for herself, investing in great photography, understanding the manufacturing process, the influence of Japanese culture, and thinking beyond the zeitgeist.
“I think making something super simple is a little bit scary.”
“We understand ourselves better than we can understand anyone else. I think that's where we are most authentic, and coming up with the best stuff and the most interesting stuff is when we are filling a specific need in our own lives.”
Also mentioned on the show:
- ijji pants
- Netflix's Company culture
- Charles Eames: the best for the most for the least
- The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer
- How I Built This podcast
- Esprit: The Comprehensive Design Principle
- Lumi is hiring
- Baggu is hiring
Header photo by Refinery 29
You can find this and all future episodes on iTunes, Google Play, and here on the Lumi blog. This episode was edited by Evan Goodchild.
