Brand Alert! Onnix Bags

I love meeting other mums with seemingly crazy entrepreneurial ambitions. When you’re in a routine 9-5 job with a guaranteed pay-check it’s a treadmill that’s hard to stop. But when child-care eats most of your income, and the need for some degree of work/life balance dramatically increases suddenly doing your own thing doesn’t feel half so scary.

Lizz Choi, one half of Onnix Bags, is one inspiring mum. A daughter of missionaries she’s Korean, but has lived in the Dominican Republic, New York and is now an Islington mummy like myself. She’s a lady full of endless ideas and enthusiasm. On Monday Lizz and business partner Ha launched their kickstarter campaign for Onnix Bags. Their mission? To create “the perfect bag for women-on-the-go” It’s a luxury handcrafted Italian leather tote that has an interchangeable clutch on the front.

I caught up with Ha and Lizz recently, to see how it’s all been going:

Why pick the name Onnix? Ha: Onni is Finnish for luck and happiness. Lizz: We’re feminists and believe in empowering women. Women have ownership of their happiness and luck. Hence #CreateYourOnni

Why did you start Onnix Bags? Ha: I’ve always believed less is more, so my first venture was making high quality black socks “ohmysock” mainly for men. I wanted to create something useful for women, women like myself. I used to buy lots of bags, which would either go out of style or break within a few months, I wanted to change this. When I met Lizz over coffee and told her about my idea of the perfect travel handbag, she told me she has always wanted to do a functional handbag, Onnix started not long after that.

What’s been the biggest challenge? Ha: To make a bag with great quality and craftsmanship without breaking the bank. We want to pay our artisans a fair wage, use Swiss zippers and Italian leather from a tannery that treats their water before releasing it into the rivers. It’s a real challenge to do that and keep our prices competitive.

 So why Make Onnix Bags Sustainable? Lizz: Sustainability is a by-product of what we care about. We believe in fair working conditions, fair wages and a minimalistic lifestyle. That said, I love fashion and believe it to be an artistic form, a way of self-expression. So, I wanted to break the mould that sustainability is boring and ugly. We also care about the long-term effects on the environment, in my case, especially since having become a mum and the future of the generation to come.

Lizz what surprised you most about becoming a parent? How hard and tiring it is. I know that sounds like a silly comment but I thought parenting would be much more natural and intuitive because “everybody” does it. For the first time in my life I am giving selfless love and it is draining.

SNAPSHOT

Tea or Coffee? Ha: Tea Lizz: Coffee

Tote or Satchel? Ha & Lizz: Tote

Beach or Skiing? Ha &Lizz: Beach

Cocktail or Beer? Ha & Lizz: Cocktail

Camping or 5*? Ha: Camping Lizz: 5*

New York or Paris? Ha: Paris Lizz: New York!

Follow Lizz and Ha’s journey on Instagram @onnixbags, or contribute to their kickstarter campaign by clicking here www.kickstarter.com