Behind the Bag: Get to know our Premium Collection — and two of the BÉIS team members who brought it to life!

In honor of the final drop of our 5th Anniversary celebration, we sat down with our VP of Brand & Creative and our Concept Designer to talk about our new Premium Collection. Learn more about the story behind the bags and get an inside scoop on big moments from the past five years.   

So, these pieces were created for our 5th Anniversary as a collection that shows how far we’ve come as a brand. Walk us through the process of designing the Premium Duffle and the Premium Weekender. What was the original inspiration and intention? 

Alisse, Concept Designer: These vegan leather bags really started out as an exercise in craftsmanship. Our OG’s know, we actually made a cactus leather bag back in 2021. That was truly a statement piece that set the tone for a collection of this kind — something that really spoke to fashion but also incorporated the function we pride ourselves on. 

We wanted to create a bag that encapsulated everything we’ve learned from the last five years — what we’ve discovered about production, material, our community, and what it ultimately means to have a bag that just makes you feel good. We wanted to create the ultimate travel pieces that combine luxury quality and craftsmanship with intuitive, thoughtful function, and we think we definitely did. 

Liz, VP of Brand & Creative: I think that’s so right and, I mean, our inspiration is always our community first. That’s where all of this comes from — the BÉIS family loves function (which is something that just makes me feel so at home here), and, really, who isn’t looking for a bag that feels luxurious but can also do all of the special and seriously helpful little tricks that our pieces do? 

This collection was about paying attention to our consumer, paying attention to detail, and stepping into a new space for the brand that really speaks to elevated, quiet luxury — with a BÉIS twist. 

You mentioned BÉIS has used this material once before, and that the community loved it. I just got to see it in person for the first time recently and — wow — does it feel nice.  How did you find this specific vegan leather? Tell us the story behind the unique material.  

Liz: We knew we wanted this milestone anniversary collection to be elevated and truly special — a collector’s item that speaks to the life of both our product and celebrating 5 years as a brand. We spent a long time searching for the perfect material that combines luxury style with conscious production practices. 

Like we mentioned, we started working with cactus leather in 2021, and we originally connected with the Desserto team who creates this material not only because they’ve been such innovators in the plant-based leather field, but also because we really aligned with their mission around impact, inclusion, and innovation. Pairing that with their value of aesthetics created an incredible combo where we’ve been able to transform true quality materials into fantastic, sleek silhouettes. Desserto has also worked with luxury fashion designers and even premium automotive companies, so you’re really getting all of that technology and craftsmanship when it comes to these bags. 

You can definitely see the care that went into making the material, and the care that went into this slow design process. What details did you use from the original styles, and what new elements can we find in these bags? 

Alisse: This collection was truly a joy for us to design — we got to incorporate so many elements we’ve been dreaming of, and it feels so fitting to finally see them come to fruition for our fifth anniversary. These bags have the foundational functions you know and love from our OG pieces — organized compartments, key leashes, all of our bread and butter, if you will. But, they also include these really gorgeous elements that truly make it an elevated collector’s piece: subtle B-shaped hardware, debossed leather details, and gorgeous zippers— just to name a few. My personal favorite addition is the new, tubular handles, but I know Shay was a big fan of having super sleek, concealed trolley pass-throughs, and on these bags, it really does elevate the chic function. 

These are such gorgeous pieces, and I’m so excited that we can all have them as a part of our BÉIS collections for so many more anniversaries to come. I’m so proud of the team for the time, love, and effort we’ve put into these! 

To learn more about our vegan leather, visit the Desserto website. The Premium Weekender and Premium Duffle are part of a limited-edition, small-run collection launching November 5th, 2023 as the final installment of our Anniversary Series. Happy 5th, from us to you!