about

cubby (noun): a small, snug place (as for hiding or storage)

some of my earliest memories are of times spent at school. i specifically recall the comforting feeling of security i felt from knowing there was a cubby in the classroom with my name on it - a spot where i could keep my things and cement my place in the room. when i was thinking about what to call my line of bags, cubby instantly came to mind, first for its parallel with a bag - a small snug place to keep belongings organized. i also felt drawn to the youthful connotation behind the word, as a large part of all of this has been an attempt to shed some of my perfectionist, type-A tendencies and accept the discomfort that comes from trying new things as an adult (which was so much easier as a kid !).

so, cubby! was born out of a pursuit of youthful, carefree imperfection. each bag is made from a vintage towel sourced (and thoroughly cleaned) by me. i choose each towel for a couple of reasons - namely pattern and color. i also try to choose towels that are in the most pristine condition; however, i've come to find that there is beauty in imperfection. knowing some of these towels are almost 60 years old (!!), a little wear and tear is to be expected and frankly adds to the beauty and intrigue of each individual bag. what sort of life did this towel have before ending up in my hands? what were its owners like? as i upcycle each towel into a brand new bag, i enjoy thinking through these questions, and i hope you do as well. perfectionism has a strong grip, but through cubby! i have been able to revisit that youthful side of creativity, where mistakes are just happy accidents and creation is for expressing, not for grading or judgment. if you made it this far...thank you for reading :) and please reach out with any questions or if you just want to chat!

xx, michi