Ethos: How We Design

My design philosophy was shaped long before AALLYN. For years, I worked with handbags in the most hands-on way possible. I spent countless hours restoring them and learning how they were made from the inside out, then sold them to a community of nearly 400,000 people who trusted me to help them choose pieces that fit their lives. Those years of repairing, studying, and talking with real women taught me what makes a bag worth carrying every day, and that understanding became the foundation for how I design now.

We create our bags without the noise of trends or the pressure to chase what everyone else is doing. I am not interested in micro trends or pieces that feel exciting for a season and forgotten the next. It feels more sincere to design bags that feel natural to us, grounded in how women actually live.

Beauty matters to us, but never at the expense of function. Every style we create has to earn its place by being something you will genuinely reach for day after day. We think about the small moments that frustrate you with other bags, like scraping your hand on a zipper just to grab your lipstick or digging endlessly for your keys. We think about what it feels like to wear a bag over a thick winter coat and then again over a tank top in July. We consider not only different strap lengths, but different widths, different textures, and how each option supports comfort in different parts of your day.

That is why many of our bags include multiple straps such as top handle, shoulder, crossbody, and extenders, because versatility should not be an upsell. It should simply be part of the design. We want each piece to adapt to you, your body, your routine, and all the roles you step into. Size inclusivity is built into every strap and silhouette, not added as an afterthought.

We also spend an enormous amount of time testing materials. We look for that balance where beauty meets comfort and durability, materials that hold their shape, feel good to carry, and age with grace. We try and test many options before we ever commit, and when something is not strong enough, comfortable enough, or visually cohesive enough, we start over.

Aesthetically, I am always drawn to the balance between soft and structured elements, because I believe women embody that same duality. Many of our shapes have a sculptural or organic feel, not just because they are comfortable to carry, but because there is something calming and grounding about them. I want our bags to feel simple and effortless, yet refined and beautiful without being loud.

Our goal has never been to simply elevate your look. Our goal is to create pieces that work hard for you, move with you, and still feel beautiful. Bags that look timeless and feel intuitive. Bags you do not have to think about, because they simply fit. And along the way, that thoughtful approach has even caught the attention of Vogue, which reminds us that you do not have to chase trends to create something worthy of being noticed.

The heart of AALLYN will always be the same: versatility, usability, comfort, and beauty living in one place, designed with intention for the life you actually live.