Cool Hunting

Premium soft goods manufacturer Bruxe recently released their Spring '09 collection to select retailers across the globe and for those fortunate to have internet access but not a means to get to a local retailer, you can now get goods directly from their newly launched online shop. Oli, one half of the company's Belgium-born founders, gave us a quick intro to their newest developments.

What's new for Spring '09?
Color is the main addition! Our first collection was monochrome black, but Spring offers monochrome ocean blue and cement grey colorways in the original laser cut patent and robust canvas fabrics. We've also introduced the Sylvestre Courier bag to the collection, which adds diversity to the line.

The online shop is a new addition, what’s the reason behind that?
We opened the shop because we are getting so many visits to our website and emails from people who do not have access to our product in their region. Basically, when we get emails from potential customers and have nowhere to send them, it's very frustrating. We want our brand to be accessible. Whether you are in the U.S., Canada, Europe, etc. The online shop allows us to do that.

How has the response been to the collection?

The response has been amazing. The unique fabrics, colorways and attention to detail have set us apart from other soft good manufacturers and it gives a reason for people to get excited about bags. We couldn’t be happier about the support we have received from media and industry. It’s nice to know that a boutique brand can still get attention in a land of megacorps.

What's in store for the near future?
Fall '09 will introduce pocket accessories, women's bags and new fabrics in many styles. Our K-Way colab will hit stores very soon and has already generated a lot of interest. We've got a couple more colabs to drop in the following months. For 2010 we will expand our packs and bags collections as well as continue to introduce new product categories. We've also got plans to work on capsule collections with some key brands in the future. Things are looking great!

For a chance to win a free "Johnston" bag (winner's color choice, one lucky person will be selected at random), answer the following: Bruxe's new Spring '09 line incorporates two new colorways in addition to the original line's color. Can you name the three Spring '09 colorways? To enter follow the contact link at the bottom of the page, select "Bruxe Spring 09 Giveaway" from the pull-down menu and submit your answer by Friday, 1 May 2009, 11:59pm EST.

View the full collection at Bruxe's site.