Shilshol Bags
Our darling designer brand Shilshol, based in Santa Cruz, brings you cool looking, modern handmade leather bags to complete your outfit. Her inspiration is drawn from California and its modern and effortless energy. For her, it is essential to have a variety of bags to match the mood you have on a particular day. We are ever so proud of working with her for her work refrains from over-design and keeps clean and minimalist aesthetics.
We hope you enjoy these great-looking and unpretending bags that carry you through every mood and occasion of a day.
4 things you didn't know about Alaina:
Her story:
I had a great career in sales management with a medical equipment company, but it never felt a perfect fit. My mind always went back to wanting to do something in a design-related field, as well as a desire to own my own business. I tried to fill that void with sewing in my free time and taking a bunch of apparel sewing classes at a fantastic fabric shop in Seattle (check out Drygoods Design if you're ever in the area). I started making some bags, and that's when the idea developed to start a bag and accessory company. About three years ago, my husband received a job offer in California. We decided to make the move, and I decided that it would be a good time to switch up my career and pursue this bag company idea full time. And now we're here! Shilshol has been operational for almost two years. I'm also very excited about our newest venture. We are moving into a new dual-purpose space in Santa Cruz, where we will be manufacturing the bags as well as using it as a retail space.
Why she designs bags:
I started designing bags for myself when I was working for my previous job. I used to do a lot of business travel, and I was surprised how difficult it was to find a cool-looking modern tote bag that wasn’t over-designed. Bags are everything! It’s so important to have a great-looking yet functional bag to complete your outfit.
What is the reason we need many types of bags:
I own a bunch of bags. It's essential to have a variety to match how you're feeling on a particular day! It's not uncommon for me to switch between three different bags throughout the day. Sometimes I'm not in the mood to carry a bag at all, and will just throw the essentials in one of our snap wallets!
What would a bag look like if its design was inspired by California:
All of our bags are inspired by California! California is all about modern, effortless style, and I think Shilshol embodies that. We are all about clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic.