No. 7 – The Creation of A Bag - The Mini Pear

 

From my desk to your doorstep.

 

Dear Subscriber,

This is Julie, founder of Julhs. If you’ve ever wondered how a handbag goes from an idea to something tangible, I’d love to take you through the process.

A lot of brands start with an existing design, tweak a few details, and call it new. It’s common in the industry—dissecting bags to copy measurements, making small adjustments, and skipping the challenge of designing from scratch. But from the very beginning, I knew I wanted to do things differently.

For me, every bag begins with an impulse. When inspiration strikes, I grab a pen and start drawing. The Pear and Mini Pear, my very first designs, were born from the simple urge for a medium-sized bag that was both timeless and versatile. Thanks to my background in apparel design, I was able to translate my sketches into digital patterns using Adobe Illustrator, making it easier to communicate my vision to my manufacturer. Illustrations speak louder than words.

Here’s a glimpse into the journey of the Mini Pear—from an idea in my New York apartment to the bag in your hands:

 

 


A few years ago, in my Upper West Side apartment, I hand-made some of Julhs’ very first prototypes, with my grey cat Ami by my side. These early samples were rough, lined with scrap fabric, and finished with store-bought alloy turn-locks. They were far from perfect, but those messy little prototypes helped me figure out what I really wanted. They became the foundation of what Julhs would become.

 

Of the three pear-shaped bags I created, two made it into the collection. The large black backpack on the left didn’t make the cut. From there, the next 18 months were spent searching for a reliable leather bag maker—something I’ll share more about in another email. By 2020, Julhs was finally ready for its first production run.

 

 

This is where things got more technical. I created Illustrator-based patterns for the Mini Pear, which my manufacturer and I used to refine every detail in our face-to-face meetings. These sketches weren’t the final production patterns, but they ensured we were aligned before cutting into leather.

 

 

 
Next came leather selection. I visited leather suppliers, reviewed swatches, and finalized materials. 

 

Before committing to production, I created CAD (computer-aided design) mockups to visualize the bag in different colors. These were invaluable in avoiding unnecessary samples. The desired leather hides are purchased and sometimes split to a desired thickness, and then couriered to my manufacturer, waiting to be cut into pieces.

 

 

A trim sheet was created, specifying the quantity and details of the hardware. This document ensures consistency across all stages of production and is shared by me, my assistant who orders trims for me, and my manufacturer.

 

 

Finally, production began. Our materials and samples were stored in a dedicated corner of the factory, where I checked in regularly to ensure every detail met our standards. Sometimes, my manufacturer shipped samples to my office, and I sent feedback via email, since we weren’t always in the same country. They’re based in Taipei, Taiwan, while I split my time between New York and Taipei.

 

 

The Journey Continues


Production is problem-solving—no matter how well you plan, challenges always arise. Over the years, I’ve learned, adapted, and refined the process, and in upcoming emails, I’ll share more behind-the-scenes insights into Julhs’ evolution.

For now, I invite you to experience the Mini Pear for yourself.


Best,

Julie

On behalf of Julhs

Explore Mini Pear