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SUSAN BIJL

Rotterdam, NetherlandsBrand · Retailer · Home goods shop

It all started with The New Shopping Bag... Susan created the first design and prototype in 2000, after studying at Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. Her mission was to replace the single-use plastic bag and reduce the waste involved with its use. Taking the classic shape of the plastic bag as a starting point, Susan made it even more functional by making the side creases deeper, therefore adding volume. In the local kite store, she discovered the advantages of ripstop nylon. Strong yet thin, lightweight, with an almost paper-thin touch and available in many colours. She added her iconic ‘Flash’; a diagonal stripe directing positively upward, to be able to add a contrasting colour to her design. The Flash has appeared on every bag design since. In the first couple of years, Susan sewed hundreds of bags herself at her studio in Rotterdam, after which she was joined by her husband, Vincent. Together, they developed The New Shopping Bag. It was an instant hit with friends, family and pop-up stores. The bag attracted attention from the press and the interest of boutiques worldwide, including Paul Smith in the UK and Japan’s United Arrows. What started as a small-scale personal art project slowly grew into a more sustainable brand: the SUSAN BIJL family business was born. Everything is done with a strong love for minimalistic and functional design, from the first sketch to the last stitch.