JujuSweden

May 11, 2011

This season the classic tote bag comes with a twist. Maison Martin Margiela and Jil Sander both launched their
luxury versions of the carrier bag – something JujuSweden has been doing since 2009. The Swede Beat caught up with founder Mirja Billestedt.

Why did you start JujuSweden?
– I came up with the idea of a tote bag that stood out from the
standard white cotton tote bag. I wanted and needed one that was made
out of other materials and in a different shape. So I started to
experiment with different materials; I made the first one using
velvet, patent leather and lace.

Your tote bags are all one-of-a-kind. What’s the inspiration behind them?
– As with everything I create, I draw inspiration from the imagery
that I discovered while exploring goth music. I find early 20th
century architechture, shapes and forms, very inspiring – something
that I for some reason relate to the literature genre magic realism
which also inspires me. Maybe that doesn’t make sense right now but
it’ll become more apparent in future designs that I’m working on.

Do you have a dream customer?
– No, not really. I think and wish most people could find my bags
useful and likeable.

Name three places where you’d be happy to run into one of your bags!
– In a church, at the supermarket and anywhere carried by Roy Orbison.
I can imagine him with a NIGHT SHIFT dangling from his arm.

This season designers like Jil Sander and Maison Martin Margiela are
showing luxury versions of the carrier tote bag – why do you think
it’s a trend?
– I can’t really understand why it’s a trend right now or why there
hasn’t been a popular demand for these kinds of bags before. I’ve been
using my bags every day since I first started making them.

By Katarina Matsson

Published by: The Swede Beat