p r o fi l e job after college was at Fossil in 2004. I started there as an assistant designer working on fabric and leather handbags and really loved 3D design and working with such a variety of materials. I especially loved the community of people who I worked with there and working with the factories. It was such an amazing entry into the design world. I’m really grateful for that initial experience, the people and it being so positive. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE LIFE AS A DESIGNER? I have had a really positive experience here juggling between full-time and freelance over the past several years. I’m so thankful for a broad range of design experience from graphic design to men’s and women’s design.
PU RS ES W I T H B E N E F I TS Bag Pop gives back to the community ›
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andbag designer Aimee Bruyninckx is fascinated with fabric of all materials. It’s been 18 years since she got her start making handbags, from concept design to product development. After dedicating her time and skill to different handbag and accessory companies, she decided to start her own business, Bag Pop. By December 2018, she was on her way to creating a sustainable product inspired by factories and sewing rooms she’d visited here and abroad. The environment she wanted to create was one with good working conditions and reasonable hours for employees. At the
same time, Bruyninckx envisioned Bag Pop as a company that gives back to the community, so she employed refugee women at Vickery Trading Company. ARE YOU FROM LAKE HIGHLANDS? No, I actually grew up in Lubbock and moved to Dallas right after college. I have been in Lake Highlands since 2012. WHERE DID YOU DESIGN CAREER START? I had an internship in New York for a denim company, but my first real
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE BAG POP? I had learned a little bit about the refugee community here in Dallas through church and friends who volunteer in the Vickery area. I’m sure many remember J. Crew telling Gaia’s story and selling their bags; it was incredible. I had already been thinking about starting something similar. And that was so inspiring to me that J. Crew shared their story of refugee women here in Dallas making bags. I learned of a few sewing rooms and decided to start Bag Pop while freelancing in 2018. There were other brands introducing refugee-made products, and it was so inspiring to see. A good friend connected me with a few of the sewing rooms, and we started with a few simply constructed fabric bags. I quickly got to know the women and really have loved working with them.
HOW DID YOU FIND REFUGEE WOMEN IN VICKERY MEADOW? A very good friend of mine connected me with Vickery Trading. I immediately met the women there and loved them and their programming. What they offer for the men, women and families relocating to Dallas is incredible. They are reading books with them, teaching everyone about driving, and they are learning all sorts of American skills. Sewing is only a part of it. They are taking them in and taking care of the families. From there, I started working with women in their homes who needed to be home working with children or while going to school.
Interview by RAVEN JORDAN | Photography by JESSICA TURNER
10 lakehighlands.advocatemag.com DECEMBER 2021
