Interviewed by Haruko Kohno
Photos courtesy of Wicker Darling
With cashless payment becoming the norm, wallets are becoming much more compact than before. The growing minimalist trend has pared down our personal belongings to the strict essentials, which has naturally accelerated the downsizing of bags, from small to mini, from mini to micro. But a Wicker Darling bag reminds us that a bag can be a lot more than a simple container; it should essentially be one’s companion for the day, if not a fashion statement in itself. A bag with an attractive design could also spark a conversation with a stranger.
“Creating pure joy in bag form.” This is what Melbourne-based Jasmine Norrie has in mind when designing her handbags and clutches made from rattan material, which mostly take the form of animals. Her company name “Wicker Darling” combines “wicker,” the method of weaving used to make baskets, and “darling” as a term of endearment. She releases on a constant basis a menagerie of cute and colorful bags with a distinct color palette and a wide range of forms.
For example, there is the flamingo with its bright pink plumage or the Triceratops sporting its three well-defined horns. It is these easily recognizable features that first catch the eye. And then there are the fun and clever elements that add to the functional aspect of the bags. In the case of the hippopotamus, for example, the tongue peeking out of the wide-open mouth is actually a coin purse, while in the case of the camel, the hump serves as the round lid of the bag.
Jasmine says, “I hope my customers feel joy and excitement over all the details of the bag, a sense of marveling over the face and how cute it is, opening the bag and immediately thinking about how much you can fit inside it, and then the expectation and excitement of taking the bag out for the first time and seeing other people smile and experience the same joy you feel when you look at the bag.”
Wicker Darling’s creative process begins in the dining room of Jasmine’s house in Melbourne. There’s a window that lets in plenty of morning light, and lorikeets and magpies are perched in the trees. Jasmine works at a big wooden table covered in pens, rulers and tape measures, while her cat sits by supervising her future bag designs.
A rendering of a goat bag with details of the colors and materials to be used.
The designs born from this very personal space are then set off on a journey. First, the sketches are forwarded to a CAD specialist, who makes sure that the measurements and design are in proportion. A longer journey awaits; the said “technical pack” is then sent to the Philippines for the actual crafting.
Jasmine partners with two ateliers in Manila, which are each connected to different weaving communities in the countryside. Local communities across the Philippines have inherited their own traditional methods of rattan weaving, mostly carried out by women, and Wicker Darling’s orders are placed according to design and material. For example, if it’s a panda bag, the basic shape is completed in a particular community, and then returned to the atelier where the ears, eyes, nose, handles and lining are added, along with the final black and white coloring.
The bags are designed in Melbourne, then sent off to local communities in the Philippines that carry on the tradition of crafting rattan by hand.
“The two ateliers work almost as social enterprises; they pay living wages to everyone they work with, and they champion the work these communities do, keeping alive traditional craftsmanship. According to one atelier manager, it’s becoming harder to find the really highly skilled weavers, as younger people are less interested in learning the skills.”
When Jasmine started her business back in 2018, she traveled around Southeast Asia and approached different manufactures, but to no avail. Even now that she has secured a manufacturing platform in the Philippines, she faces various challenges. “I don’t have any formal education to be what I’m doing: no business school, no design school. I was just a lady who really loved figural wicker bags, and really wanted to make this work out! With the internet, social media, and globalization, learning and adapting just comes with the territory.”
Although Jasmine enjoys the freedom of running her own business, at times she is met with unreasonable expectations or is subject to criticism. And yet she says, “my customers are my biggest inspiration.” She laughingly surmises that a porcupine bag with long spikes wouldn’t be quite feasible, but she says she tries her best to incorporate her customers' suggestions. The only rules she sets for herself are that the bags are large enough to hold a smartphone and a wallet, and that the design conveys a feminine, joyful, retro vibe. From there, her ideas expand freely.
Today, Jasmine heads a small team of members who work remotely from their own homes and come in routinely to help package or photograph items in her garage. Having a small warehouse, office and show room are some of the goals Jasmine has in mind to further the growth of Wicker Darling.
Jasmine Norrie, founder of Wicker Darling on the right, with her best friend Skye who works as her executive assistant. Wicker Darling bags are statement pieces that are never eclipsed, even by colorful fashion.
And lastly, she has some dreams related to Japan. “I recently learned about the Caban (Bag) Street in Toyooka, Hyogo prefecture. I’d love to meet some of the artisans there. I actually used to live in Nara prefecture as an English language teacher. I’d love to return to Japan and live there for another year or two with my son. It’s also a dream of mine to perhaps open a small shop selling my bags in Japan.”
Jasmine concludes, “I hope the sense of joy you feel when seeing my bag doesn’t diminish! That you happily anticipate your next excursion with your bag, knowing how it makes people smile to see your bag.” With her dreams packed in a Wicker Darling bag, Jasmine's own journey continues.
Jasmine Norrie
Founder and CEO of Wicker Darling. Jasmine designs and produces one-of-a-kind figural wicker bags with the hope to “bring an unexpected spark of joy to every day.” The bags are handcrafted in the Philippines using the local rattan weaving technique. Her business also helps to provide fair employment to locals whilst preserving traditional Filipino craftsmanship.
All bags can be purchased from Wicker Darling’s website.
https://wickerdarling.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wickerdarling/