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Available at Imogene + Willie or imogeneandwillie.com. ($600).
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Susan Sherrick knows coolevidenced by her John Lee Hooker concert tees and the shift dresses she rocks in homage to her art gallery days. The independent art curator and daughter of a custom-leather holster maker is now playing off classic American style with a new Imogene + Willie accessory collaboration that blends functionality and fashion.
'I wanted to make a bag that I could carry my laptop in while traveling,” says Sherrick, co-founder of Joint, a sensorial art, food, and fashion pop-up. 'Being an art dealer, you always have your laptop with you, and my girlfriends who are chefs or in the fashion world all had the same problem. We couldn't find simple, good-looking, clean bags that were able to transition from day to night.”
She merged forces with Imogene + Willie co-founder Carrie Eddmenson and designer Kristen Kennedy, looking toward the ultimate utilitarian inspiration: the old mail carrier bag. The resulting I+W x S.E. Sherrick Tote, made of butter-soft black leather and sealed tight with a brass zipper typically used on rancher's chaps, boasts one feature that Sherrick is particularly proud of: 'Although I'm not trying to pat myself on the back, I really nailed the measurements of the shoulder drop. Even if you're wearing a heavy winter coat, the bag always stays in place.”
The tote has a mix of personal influences, too. Its architectural lines stem from Sherrick's love of simplicity and great design, and its overall aesthetic is a tribute to her father's fashion senseboots, leather jacket, and Pendelton shirts. The result is a gorgeous collective nod to patriotic pride, proletarians, and plaid work shirts.
'There are days I miss working in a gallery,” Sherrick says, 'but there is something so satisfying about creating something with yours hands.”