The idea of designing a bag had always lived quietly in the back of my mind. I just never made the time for it—until one unexpected moment.
One day, my cousin in Thailand sent me a link of a funny, whale-shaped bag and asked what I thought of it. It made me smile, but more importantly, it sparked something. I remember thinking, what if I designed something of my own—and had it made in Thailand?
I asked my cousin if he could help me. The very next day, he came back with a list of potential manufacturers. I was instantly excited.
I spent weeks sketching, cutting, and shaping my first ideas by hand from brown construction paper I bought from Home Depot.
From the beginning, I knew I wanted this design to showcase Thai craftsmanship. My first instinct was weaving—but I wanted to reinterpret it in a way that felt modern, lightweight, and effortless. Something visually interesting, yet not overly complicated.
I then moved into Adobe Illustrator, where I explored countless variations—playing with proportions, shapes, colors, stitch lines, and hardware details. Most of the things I designed, I tried to use both by hand and in my favorite design software.
The whole process felt completely new—refreshing, exciting, and honestly a little nerve-wracking. It was the first time I invested this much into something I had never done before, without knowing if I would even be good at it. But I trusted the feeling and kept going.
When I make my jewelry, I have full control, but with this bag project, it was mostly planning and giving clear instructions on the blueprint. It was very different from how I normally work. There were so much details a long the process.
We had our first visual meeting with an OEM team in Bangkok. They developed a prototype and shipped it to me in Maine. From there, I refined the design and selected colors remotely—something that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I've always been a designer who needs to see and feel materials in person.
In February 2026, I flew back to Thailand to review the final pieces in all six colorways before shipment. The moment I saw them, I couldn't stop smiling. They were everything I had imagined—and more. I was so proud, I got emotional. The bag makers executed my idea so perfectly. I really appreciate the patience they had with me and their willingness to make this design, which was different from what they normally make, just for me.
But the journey didn't end there. In many ways, the hardest part came after: navigating the paperwork required to export from Thailand and import into the U.S. The logistics, the fees, the unexpected costs—it all added up, and it required a different kind of preparation.
From start to finish, the entire process took about seven months. It taught me so much—not just about design, but about patience, risk, and believing in something before it fully exists.
This project is deeply personal to me. I've always wanted to be a designer who brings made in Thailand craftsmanship to a wider audience. Over the past decade, that value has faded as the industry moved toward cheaper, faster production. But that's never been the path I wanted to follow. I have always want my design to be made in Thailand, my home country.
After more than five years in the handmade jewelry world, I know there are people who care about how something is made—who value the story, the intention, and the hands behind it. Those are my people. That is the community I create for.
These bags may not be made by my own hands like my jewelry, but everything under the name Choo 11 is made from my heart. I hope you love my bag design journey as much as my handmade jewelry.
Thank you so much for being here.
—Kira Sangsap Laufik
