I have been designing bags for over 3 years now. Creating bags makes me so happy! The biggest inspiration for my designs are my three Podenco dogs. I love all sorts of materials. Especially if I can recycle them to create a new bag. What started out as something small, creating small applications and (dog) marks for fun, ended up with the design of a ‘completely functional bag’ for daily use. The start of Mr. Podenco.

The themes I use for my new designs are inspired by the seasons. So the colors outside and the mood of that particular moment are of great influence for the complete seasonal collection. I choose the type of bag based on my experience to have a suitable bag combined with all daily activities. That’s the reason that the models of the bags may vary in every collection. I also work on commission. This makes me very aware of the demands for a useful design.

Today I am going to hand make a bag which I have already created once before. A client asked me to reproduce her favorite bag, since she wants a new one. Usually I start designing it all by myself. The design is drawn to a pattern on all the materials. But in this case I chose to cut down the old bag to reproduce it identically in the theme of this season. I used recycled materials, such as leather and, a blue jeans’ denim, some African wax and pieces of used leather. The materials are of great influence to my designs.

To shape the materials, I can use a rotary cutter. But today I ‘ll be working with scissors. I use the sewing machine to connect all the materials. Also, I have created a small logo (beside my brand label) for the side of the bag. It is the image of Cooper; one of my Podenco’s. Don’t you think it is lovely?

When the bag is all in one piece, I connect the lining with the outside. The lining is a leopard print (just a print, not a real coat!). I do a check on this small shoulder bag and then it is ready for shipment to the new owner. Can’t wait to hear what she thinks of it. Well, in all honesty, I did send her pictures while working on it, and she got crazy excited just by seeing it on picture!

I do everything myself. I do believe that within a few years my designs can be found around the world. Created for people that respect the craft and the importance of animal rights. A share of Mr. Podenco’s profit is invested in several foundations around the world who are active in Animal Welfare. You can read more about this on my website. Beside the importance of supporting these organizations I also consider the positive feedback from clients as the driving force behind Mr. Podenco.