FAQ
Q. What is vegan leather?
A. Vegan leather is a term used to describe man-made textiles that resemble the look and texture of real leather (ick). Vegan leather is often used by companies that believe animals shouldn’t suffer in the name of fashion.
Q. Where did the idea for Bagonia and Birch come from?
A. As an eco-minded, single mother on-the-go, founder, Nichole MacDonald, would purchase reusable shopping bags with the intention of using them on her shopping trips. No matter how many reusable bags she purchased they would be forgotten at home or in the car. Not being happy with a bunch of unused reusable shopping bags Nichole came up a solution to her problem…and, thus Bagonia was born.
Q. What goes into the making and pricing of a Bagonia / Birch bag?
A. All handbags are made in the United States, with as many reclaimed, recycled, or organic textiles and components as possible. The process from start to finish is quite lengthy and meticulous.
First, we start with the design. All designs are created from scratch in-house, and relayed to the pattern-maker at our factory (located in the fashion district of Los Angeles). Next we begin the task of sourcing. We have vendors providing organic and vegan textiles. But first we try to use reclaimed products that would otherwise end up in a landfill, such as unwanted textile scraps, hardware from construction sites (for the Birch bags), etc. Once all reclaimed components are sourced, we then source what’s left through our vendors.
The next part is the un-fun part. Every detail down to the zipper has to be sourced, and in being eco-friendly and socially responsible… It can be very challenging! Again, using only products made in the USA, this can be the most time-consuming and costly process of it all. Once all the textiles, zippers, nameplates, etc. are put together in a nice, neat package, we deliver everything to our factory and production begins. Production times vary, but typically take two to six weeks.
The cost of materials and labor are the main factor in our pricing matrix. You’ll probably notice that our prices are extremely competitive for a US-made product. We strive to continuously simplify the process to pass savings onto the consumer. Please contact us at info@hernichproducts.com if you have any other questions regarding development.
