August’s Varsity-Inspired Glam Bag Design Puts the Cool Back in School Spirit
Whether you’re a bookworm, a music major, or home schooled, one thing everyone can recognize as a symbol of school is the varsity jacket. Since 1865, the letterman jacket has represented athletic excellence and academic prestige, but recently the classic look made a comeback on fashion runways for brands like Kenzo, Celine, Louis Vuitton, and Tommy Hilfiger. Now that it’s back-to-school season, what better way to align with our grind than with a Glam Bag design that’s all about school spirit? That’s exactly what IPSY’s Glam Bag designer Joanne Wong did with her varsity-inspired Glam Bag for August.
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Meet the Expert
Joanne Wong is the Senior Designer for Fashion and Accessories at IPSY. She has been designing fashion handbags, accessories, and beauty packaging for more than 10 years for brands like Sephora, Nordstrom, Adventures by Disney, and more.
Behind the August 2024 Glam Bag Design
“All Ipsters receiving our Glam Bags are part of our glam family,” says Wong. “I wanted to create something with August’s design that represented our IPSY community and the new school year, so this iconic university motif was perfect for that.”
The combination of faux-leather and soft felt fabric are reminiscent of the leather sleeves and cozy body of the classic sportsman jacket. Wong’s use of striking, contrasting colors, like lavender purple faux leather, an athletic golden yellow zipper tape, and a lime green zipper puller, tie in perfectly with the large embroidered patches to complete the classic look.
But it wasn’t easy acing the design. “All the patches are sewn by hand individually, so it required more time and attention to get the letters to look perfectly aligned on every bag,” says Wong.
As for the material itself, Wong chose a canvas that allowed for self-expression and customization. “I wanted our Ipsters to make the bag their own, so I left room for them to add their own embellishments to the bag, like iron-on patches or buttons,” she says. We’d say Wong scored one for the home team with this design.
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