The Go-Bag: One-of-a-kind purses | Stephanie Hamersham

It’s more than just purses or fashion. It’s identity.

Stephanie Hasham always used her clothing to express that she was a “Strange Bird” (a moniker she has adopted as her spirit animal). Why fashion? Because it’s the most recognizable form of self-expression at-a-glance.

Feeling emo? All black.
Ready to turn heads? You know which outfit you’re picking out.
Need a bag for every occasion? Stephanie created it.

The Go-Bag. Wearable one of five ways, it’s designed to be integrated into your outfit. “A bag that’s part of you.” But there are layers to Stephanie and her purses. Each bag is made custom and one-of-a-kind. When an order comes through for one of her Go-Bags, Stephanie gets to know who the purse is for, why they want her purse, what story it needs to tell.

Custom bags made by hand is no small feat. With up to two weeks in her turn-around time, each bag is a labor of love, working with other artisans and learning new trades to produce a purse that is full of craftsmanship.

Why not outsource some of the work? For Stephanie, that’s a part of her story.

Growing up on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, not everything was accessible. When a limit presented itself to the young Stephanie, she got creative. When the internet was uncharted and new, she and her brother dove into the new space to create something for this new medium. On an island of abundant beauty and community, formal art was more limited. But remember, barriers inspire Stephanie to fly.

Stephanie was never afraid of being a “Strange Bird”, rather she nursed the energy of being different. Embedded in her collections, you’ll find how something as uniform as a purse can be as distinct as the person who wears it.

Learn how our homelands, identity, and devotion are small parts of how we engage with the world. Listen to the episode and start peeling back the layers to Stephanie and your own journey.

Stephanie’s next step in the creative space is finding the right small-batch manufacturer to work with to up her production and maintain the integrity in each unique bag. Send us an email if you’re the right fit to work with a creator who cares as deeply as Stephanie does.