How Sujin Osatarayakul Builds Bags Like Buildings | Emily Blumenthal & Kazumi Takahashi & Sujin Osatarayakul
Description
For Sujin, handbags aren’t sewn—they’re constructed. Trained as an architect, she approaches her brand, Elemood, with the same principles she’d apply to a building: structural integrity, simplicity, and form as function. With no fashion or sewing background, she pioneered designs like the Mono bag—crafted from a single piece of material—and the Expert, made from one repeated pattern, creating sculptural pieces unlike anything in the market.
After a decade of success, Sujin nearly walked away from her business—until an Italian brand strategist and Japanese designer Kasumi reignited her vision. Now, their partnership blends Japanese minimalism, Thai craftsmanship, and architectural precision into award-winning designs like the Blossom Series, while navigating a shift from traditional exports to U.S. wholesale.
💡 Key Takeaways:
- An outsider’s perspective can be a creative advantage.
- Structural thinking leads to distinctive, lasting designs.
- Collaboration works best when partners fill each other’s gaps.
- Revitalizing a brand sometimes means rethinking the business model.
🎧 Listen for a story of reinvention, partnership, and pushing the boundaries of handbag design.
Our Guest:
Sujin Osatarayakul is the founder and creative mind behind Elemood, an award-winning brand merging architectural construction with functional accessories. Her work, with her partner Kazumi Takahashi challenges traditional handbag-making by treating each design as a building—crafted for beauty, utility, and longevity.
#Elemood #ArchitecturalDesign #HandbagDesigner101 #WomenInBusiness #DesignInnovation #FunctionalArt #CreativePartnership #LuxuryAccessories
Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.
Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at
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