In the Pink at LBA
The upcoming Leather Bag and Accessories (LBA) fair promises to harness the yummy mummy market for a certain bag wholesaler.
Sydney company Pink Corporation will utilise its presence at LBA - co-located at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre with the Australian Shoe Fair from August 12 to 14 - to officially launch ultra-chic maternity bag label Pink + Blue.
Pink Corporation founder Yakov Moses said the idea of fashion conscious maternity bags was first mooted three years ago.
"When my wife and I had our first child, we dutifully went out and bought a sensible nylon nappy bag, which naturally lasted forever because quite simply we never used it, it was so unattractive. My wife suggested that with my experience in the bag market I should surely be able to come up with something better."
As with many spouse-generated suggestions, the wisdom of this advice took three years to penetrate, Moses conceded.
"However what we've now done is to take three of our more manageable fashion bags, added nylon linings, reinforced stitching and a shoulder strap and made each bag a touch bigger."
The resulting 'Cookie', 'Mille' and 'Bonnie' bags - priced at around $400 - were so desirable they had the potential to long outlive the maternity period, he added.
"After all, if you're going to invest in a bag you might as well make it fashionable and desirable as well as practical."
It was hoped Pink + Blue - which has already secured a suite of Sydney stockists including Bonza Brats, Little Kisses and MBC - would leverage Melbourne LBA to garner orders from Victorian and interstate buyers.
As a high-end, high fashion offer, the label would specifically target the boutique market, Moses said.
"We've already got one Melbourne stockist, Baby Bunting, but I think there will be hundreds of others with whom the brand would sit really well."
Doubtless Moses hopes Pink + Blue will replicate the rapid growth of Pink Corporation's high fashion leather bags. Founded in 2003, Pink Corporation stockists sky-rocketed from 15 to 136 following exposure at last year's Sydney LBA.
By Belinda Smart