Ella Lim, textile designer and founder of Verloop Knits, knows a thing or two about the fabric that goes into your favorite carry-alls. For her, one daily bag has stood the test of time, no matter what her days bring: her Baggu fanny pack.
When it comes to knowing a great everyday carry-all, who better to ask than a textile designer? Verloop Knits founder and dedicated minimalist Ella Lim has been working around fabric all her life, eventually growing her colorful deadstock-knit business out of it — and so it stands to reason she’d be the person who knows a great go-to everyday-carry bag that’s compact enough to stay close to the body, big enough to carry the essentials and a bit more, and sturdy enough to not split on your after a few years.
Lim’s familiarity with textiles began at her grandfather’s knitting factory near her home in the Philippines, where she spent her childhood watching machines whirr as they produced cold-weather accessories for top American brands. In high school, she watched and shadowed production on the floor. After getting an MBA, she decided to merge her business interests with her love for creativity and sustainability. The latter came as she saw the rise of fast fashion’s effect on her own family factory floor: more waste, falling prices, and cheaper materials.
What could’ve been a breaking point ended up leading to new beginnings: Verloop.
“At that point, I started it as a side business. I was like, ‘You know what? We're gonna come up with our own brand,’” she explains. “‘We're gonna use the waste that was generated by all these other clients,’” many of whom were working with custom colors that would otherwise be in the landfill.
Sustainability and minimalism in one perfect Bag(gu)
Because of her deep knowledge in textile production, consumer manufacturing, textile waste, and international business — as well as a professed love for a minimalist life — the bar is pretty high for what she buys. So when Lim says a bag is not only worth owning, but one she would “go to her grave with,” we’re paying attention.
“Amazing. It's amazing. This is the most amazing thing,” she says about her daily carry: Baggu’s nylon fanny pack.
Like all good things, the rec came word of mouth: Lim was tipped off to the bag by a client and fellow colleague.
“You know, that's one great thing about working in the creative industries: You do encounter a lot of good quality products from other colleagues in the industry,” she says. “They've really vetted the product and you can trust their opinions on things or designers or creative types. They're very thoughtful about what products they have and introduce into their lives.”
Clever design — and standout durability
The hallmarks of Baggu’s fanny packs and other bags, including their famous grocery totes, aren’t too far off from Verloop’s ethos: Baggu uses recycled pre-consumer materials, bright colors, minimalist designs, and intentional functionality.
Lim calls it “the roomiest fanny pack ever”: “In my fanny pack I have an umbrella because it rains a lot in Asia. I'm ever prepared.” Not only is it big enough to hold an umbrella, but Lim says she can fit other essentials, like her phone charger, passport, boarding passes, and snacks in there for travel days, too.
With a textile designer’s eye, she appreciates the fine details of the bag, too: “The zippers are very, very durable. They never snag. Even the strap itself, it looks like it might look kind of tough and it might cut into your skin, but it's not,” she says.
For anything life throws at her, the Baggu is like Lim’s versatile sidekick. “I've worn this on family vacations where you just need to have your phone and your wallet in front at all times, when you need your hands free wrangling the kids and stuff. And it's just been the best item.”
Plus, Lim, as a fabric expert, says that the company’s heavyweight recycled nylon has never shrunk in the wash, despite all the washes hers has been through.
“I literally use this every single day of the year. This is part of my look. I love that,” she says.
