You may (or may not) have noticed that some things are changing on the website, and in the content of emails, announcements, etc. If you are keeping track, here’s what’s going on: Her Niche Products is going to be gradually morphing into an Eco Co-Op, with the company Bagonia taking over operations of the Bagonia and Birch bags.

There are a lot of exciting partnerships in the works, with companies such as Jiva and with bloggers such as bikebythesea.com. I am really excited about the future direction of the company and thank everyone for continued support. Please let me know if you have any questions, ideas, etc. I’m always open to feedback.

More announcements will be coming up very soon. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

Cheers,
Nichole MacDonald
Bagonia, Founder and Designer

Often marine life mistake trash particles as food and suffer from internal injury and starvation. Preventing marine debris from entering the ocean restores the natural beauty of beaches and saves marine life.   By reclaiming and reusing the plastic, we hope to bring awareness to waste and ocean pollution.  The charms are shocking and inspirational.  We look forward to speaking with POOL attendees about why it’s important to avoid using plastic and paper bags and to “go reusable.”

We can hardly believe we’re less than two weeks away from POOL!  We’ve been working like crazy prepping all the details of our booth, reaching out to boutiques and making sure everyone knows about our new eARTh line. As much outreach as we’ve done it feels as though we’ve barely scratched the surface.  Our new line has a function for everyone – literally.  Whatever your lifestyle there’s a style and function for you.  The line has been well received by everyone that has been introduced to it. We actually were recently in LA for a party our fabulous friends Chrissy and Erin put together.  They hosted a party so that we could introduce Bagonia and Birch to their friends (Chrissy and Erin love their Bagonia’s so much they want everyone to have one). 

Ready and excited to talk about our new eARTh line

It was really cool to see the reaction from all the women.  We were constantly getting oooooh’s and aaaaaaah’s as we showed ALL the features.  Nichole and I were even a little teary eyed when some of the women said we were “their heroes and inspired them.”  We can’t wait until the tradeshow so that we can talk about Bagonia and Birch for three days straight!

We are also super SUPER excited to have recently been contact by the 2009 Cycle Chic Fashion Show taking place in Cork, Ireland.  The Fashion Show aims to persuade people that cycling can be stylish and help grow the Trendy Travel movement.  The show demonstrates that when using the latest innovations in accessories and safety gear, ones personal clothing/style will not be compromised but enhanced.  The show will showcase European and Irish designers and their latest innovations of trendy bicycles, smart clothes and funky accessories.  As of right now, we are the only designers to have been invited to participate from the United States – a very great honor for us.  We’ve always felt our design-driven designs are making an impact on both the eco scene and fashion scene, our invitation to the Cycle Chic Fashion show has shown us the importance of our vision for simple, sustainable and stylish fashion for the US and beyond.     

We will be tweeting our heads off as we begin to really get down and dirty with our work for the tradeshow.  So if you’re not following us yet on twitter here are our profiles:

http://twitter.com/Her_Niche

http://twitter.com/Adriana_Herrera

http://twitter.com/Bagonia

Feel free send us a tweet we’d love to hear from you!  

We were thrilled that Bagonia and Birch had such great reception.  It seemed that we were constantly chatting with visitors.  We love talking with people about what we are doing to promote social and environmental responsibility.  In the United States, how often does one hear that a product is made in the US and that manufacturing contributes to the local economy?  It’s rare nowadays.

Also, since meeting with many animal enthusiasts, we were sure to mention that our handbags are made from 100% vegan leather.  Style and 100% cruelty-free - what a combination!  Do you ever wonder about the eco-footprint of leather products?  It was great to see so many surprised faces when we said our bags are made of man made leather…fashion can be chic and cruelty free!

We were also really excited to hear that the San Diego Coast Keeper will be having its 25th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 19th.  To support the event we will be donating a couple of Busy Bags to be given away to volunteers that participate. Did you know that San Diego bay is the second most polluted water way in the nation?  Last year 160,000 pounds of debris was removed locally.  Ick!  It’s event like the upcoming Cleanup Day that make all the difference.  We hope to see PETCO next month at the event.

We are very happy to announce that Dionnee McClay is the proud new owner of a Busy Bag - Bow.  To claim your bag please call the Her Niche office at 619.618.2132 or email info@hernicheproducts.com.

As always, we are so proud to be a part of the San Diego environmental community.  Thank you, PETCO and fellow participants, for inspiring us.

To materialize the new line, the Her Niche team heads to Los Angeles.  The smog is low and our vision clear when we arrive in the Fashion District.

Not a mall, not a Main Street, and not even a Farmer’s Market, the Fashion District is the opposite of design; it is disorder and chaos.  And at the same time it simple.  There is a place for zippers and a place for hardware, a place for textiles and a place for sewing. I imagine a venture to Candyland aims only to find milk, nuts, sugar, and cocoa!

Seeing the production process from the drawing board to manufacturing is humbling.  Like in the Story of Stuff, I am reminded that products do not grow on local, native trees.  Every decision and design has an impact and reach.  Now when I look at handbags and other consumer products, I ponder the production process. I wonder if it is economical, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly.

The Fashion District does not have the glamour of Paris and New York.  Nevertheless, with a new impression of the manufacturing process, I have a higher regard for Milan and London.

I consider the Fashion District akin to a native tree, a beacon for regeneration.  This chaotic place produces beautiful products that are admired around the world. And from it grows Bagonia and Birch… naturally.

Are you a style icon who loves bicycles? Well now is your chance to combine fashion and bikes. Topshop has partnered with Chictopia.com to have a Topshop Bike Club photo contest. So put on your chic threads and pose next to your bike. Submit your photo before July 17 to win a free bike! Five winners are chosen each week - four chosen by Chictopia.com users and one chosen by Topshop.

It seems one can never have too many bikes – one for various events and outings. If you already have your dream bike though, Kristin at Charleston Cycle Chic has a good idea: “donate your bike to someone in need of Cycle Chic transport.” You can inspire others to adopt the “lovely biking lifestyle.”

We are so excited about the promotion that we submitted our own cycle style photos: Nichole, Adriana, & Christa. Please vote for us! If one of our photos is chosen, we will use the prize as a company bicycle. We imagine it will be used as a model for our new line, running errands, and cycling meetings. Though, Nichole and I might have to put training wheels on it so we can help Adriana get over her traumatic bike accident.

Speaking of the new line, the POOL tradeshow is almost a month away. Nichole and I have been busy designing chic bicycle handbags. We are in the middle of finding reclaimed material to incorporate into the handbags. It’s quite a task!

For some girls, diamonds make their heart skip a beat.  For me, a shiny bicycle does the same.  The simple, elegant design of a bicycle compliments a woman: a delicate frame, its light swiftness, and modest tone speak volumes.  And while one cycles, it seems time stops and luck greets her.  She descends from the bike stronger and healthier.

With minimal work and in the right circumstances, cycling is convenient and safe. The bicycle was my main mode of transportation in college.  Davis, California is a bicycle-friendly city where it is easier to cycle than to drive. I became instantly hooked.  Now when in a new place, I always find myself on a bicycle.  When studying in Europe, I got around Vienna, Zurich, and Copenhagen almost exclusively by bike. And because my native Southern California is pretty much paradise, the climate and topography are more conducive to cycling than Switzerland can ever hope for.

Upon my return from Europe, I made a video to promote bicycle infrastructure and submitted it to the Fit-City Competition.  It won and I was invited to the 2008 Oxford Health Alliance Summit in Sydney, Australia.  You can guess how I traveled around Sydney, having not missed one thing I wanted to see.

Cycling is not just transportation; it is healthy, social, and chic.   Increasingly, many are discovering the benefits of cycling and moving with style and grace. Cycle Chic, a term coined by a bicycle advocate and blogger from Copenhagen, is spreading to all corners of the globe.  Copenhagen Cycle Chic inspired my own blog on Southern California Cycle Chic, Bike by the Sea.  It highlights chic cyclists against the sunny Southern California landscape.

Her Niche’s goal is to inspire confidence in women cyclists.  Their presence on the street is a sign of a healthy community.  We are designing products to make cycling easier, reduce stress, and enhance style.  Stay tuned for more info on product development!

Santa Barbara Cycle Chic

We are very honored to be selected to participate in POOL.  With fresh new ideas, we are currently designing top secret products.  In just months, they will be unveiled and launched at POOL.  It’s going to be a busy few months!

Okay, we’ll give you a hint about one product:  Her Niche is thrilled about Cycle Chic.  Cycle Chic, born in Copenhagen, is a movement to cycle with style, to move with grace.  Christa, a new addition to the team, is following the emerging Cycle Chic culture. Her blog on SoCal Cycle Chic, Bike by the Sea, highlights cycling style in Southern California.   Many cities around the world are rejoicing the Cycle Chic movement.  For example, Charleston Cycle Chic is leading the way in the United States.  Check out their fun ride just a few weeks ago:

http://www.vimeo.com/4895044

Our wheels are spinning with excitement to release our new styles at POOL!  We’re looking forward to seeing everyone there.

How many times have we said…“If only we had a camera crew following us around?”  Well maybe now we will. The Her Niche girls have been approached by Red Varden Studios to potentially be subjects for a reality show that would show the “in’s and out’s” of our professional and personal lives.  So what does this mean?  This means that there’s a chance that you’ll get to see what goes on in our day-to-day lives like:

-       What it actually takes to design and manufacture a “socially responsible and eco friendly product”

-       How we juggles life’s complex responsibilities

-       The creativity we need to have in order to keep out business running during this horrible economy

-       How we maximize our break-time by jamming and doing the robot to Journey and other great artist that we could potential perform at karaoke 

-       How Nichole has weekly Breakfast Jack interventions with Adriana

-       The random ways the Her Niche girls meet and make friends with celebrities

So to say the least we’re super stoked about this potential opportunity!

Other GREAT updates…The Her Niche team is growing!  We are very excited to have a wonderful new intern, Christa, a new Los Angeles and Palm Springs sales rep., Justine, and an East Coast sales rep., Michelle.  These amazing women will be working with is to ensure Bagonia and Birch bags can be found in neighborhood boutiques all over the US.  We’ve also established Bagonia and Birch Ambassadors in cities around the country!  Soon, you will be able to read about their interesting lives and how they use their bags. 

Now that we have more help we’ll be blogging more so check back soon!

Oh where, oh where does time go?  Seriously, one second it’s April and the next it’s the end of May.  We have so much to share but we’ll keep it to the highlights…

The Earth Day promotion with The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was a success.  We received lots of positive feedback from the show and are still amazed that we landed that opportunity. 

Jay Leno with the Her Niche Girls

We’ve unexpectedly carved a new niche for ourselves – eco-consulting.  Given our hard work to be a green company, hands-on experience creating environmentally friendly products, personal lifestyle choices and experience in event planning we are finding ourselves providing guidance to a large Southern California music festival.  While working at Zanzibar in Pacific Beach, Adriana overheard two people talking about going green and how they can make their event green.  Adriana, couldn’t help but introduce herself and share how awesome it is to hear that events are moving towards being more eco-friendly.  What she found was that the event needed some help figuring out what “green” meant and before we knew it Her Niche made its way into the field of eco-consulting.  We’ll be making an official announcement shortly about the details of our new role.  In the meantime, we’re busting at the seams to be able to help support the event in its new commitment to reduce its environmental impact.

Her Niche is also in the process of hunting down and interviewing some great east and west coast sales representatives as well as interns.  So if you know of anyone that is interested please send them our way.

 What else?  Hmmmm, oh, Her Niche continues to support the San Diego fashion group FOCUS and is assisting in planning its annual Fashion Industry Development Conference. 

To maintain sanity and personal health we have made personal commitments to up our physical activity (Nichole is kicking Adriana’s butt in this – but she is still mildly broken from her car accident).  Nichole is training to run the Adidas Marathon in Dublin, Ireland to raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (we need someone to run a fundraising marathon for us – any volunteers?).  Her goal is to raise $1,500 feel free to visit her fundraising page and donate, http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/dublin09/nmacdonald.  Other than that, Adriana’s mom, took us to a 6:30 a.m. Bikram yoga class (she’s bad ass) and Adriana is now back on a yoga kick. 

Those are some of the highlights…We know we owe you all more updates feel free to remind us.