When designer Wendy Barry’s twins were born 10 weeks early, her life was turned upside down. Gone were the days of organized chic, and in came the era of bulging baby bags and utter chaos – times two. When she couldn’t find a classy baby bag to suit her multitasking mom-and-baby needs, she created a line of hip totes and matching handbags designed to keep everything she needed handy, and in style.
The back story: Barry, 34, moved to Denver 10 years ago to be near her college sweetheart, a Denver native. The couple married in 1998, and she worked as a human resources director before turning her focus to motherhood in 2001. But because the newborns’ fragile health required the family to isolate them from possible infections, Barry spent months living in a protective bubble. “I had lots of time on my hands, so I was throwing around ideas for a home business,” she says. “One day I noticed one of my girlfriends carrying a really bad diaper bag, but she’s usually really cute and fashionable, and I realized that I had found my market.”
The company: When the twins were about a year old, Barry signed up for a private sewing class offered through Jo-Ann Fabrics and produced her first bag, a pink chenille tote with a black-and-white checked lining. She named the company after her twins, John Patrick and Emma Elizabeth, and now she has expanded the business into a steady part-time job, working 25 hours a week designing bags and fabrics that are then manufactured overseas.
Her business has expanded recently to include custom designs for specific retailers. She created an exclusive leopard-print bag with hot-pink lining for Nordstrom, and created a chocolate tote finished with pink, green and white-striped lining and a sassy polka-dot ribbon for online retailer eBags.com.
Her inspiration: “I find inspiration in random things,” says Barry. “I’ll see a cool pillow in a home-décor magazine, and then see a stationery design that I like, and think about how the colors would look together.”
Barry also uses famously stylish women as her design muses. Her “Diana” is in preppy blue-and-chocolate, pink-and-chocolate, or green-and-chocolate argyle prints; “Grace” sports elegant lavender, orange and pink stripes; and “Jackie” is simple and classic in soft pink with an apple-green bow. Each set coordinates with a matching two-strap shoulder bag that doubles as a small baby tote or a purse. And though Barry offers refreshingly darling styles for her baby bags, she hasn’t overlooked utility; wipeable fabrics, handy bottle pockets, zippered pouches and coordinating changing pads take care of baby’s needs, while matching cosmetics bags and key-chain clutches take care of “mom stuff.”
Her customers: Busy moms like to look good too. Keeping up with trends can fall off the priority list when little ones arrive, so the bags appeal to moms who appreciate both function and fashion. Plus, the handy totes appeal to women without kids – and moms returning to work – as business or computer bags. Their affordability ($94 for the tote sets, $42 for the shoulder bags) lets customers collect more than one style.
Where to find it: Pink Purse, 2727 E. Second Ave., 303-329-8104; Real Baby, 3616 W. 32nd Ave., 303-477-2229; It’s a Girl Thing, 11314 Mesa Verde Lane, Parker, 303-841-9671; Kids and Co., 2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-545-9022; visit jplizzy.com for more retailers.
