Sketch to Strap: The Journey of a Signature Aimee Bag

Every Aimee Kestenberg bag starts the same way: with an idea. But by the time it rests on your shoulder or rides shotgun in your car, it’s been through dozens of hands, decisions, and deliberate design moments. From pencil sketches and leather swatches to hand-cut patterns and final inspections, each bag follows a journey rooted in craftsmanship, function, and the lived experience of the person who will carry it.

Let’s go behind the scenes and trace the path of one of our signature styles, so you can see just how much thought, intention, and heart goes into every stitch.

It All Starts with a Real Need

Before anything gets drawn, we ask: what is this bag for? Who’s carrying it? What does their day look like? What do they need within reach, and what just needs to work?

Our founder, Aimee Kestenberg, doesn’t design from a vacuum. She designs from life. From conversations with customers. From years of travel. From hauling her own gear, trying new leathers, and building shapes that feel lived in from the first wear.

Sometimes the inspiration is straightforward: "we need a tote that’s lighter, but can still carry a laptop." Sometimes it’s more abstract: "can we create a soft-structured shoulder bag that slouches in the right places without losing its shape?"

Either way, it begins with a design challenge grounded in reality, not runway.

The Sketch: Mapping Out Form and Function

Once the concept is clear, we sketch. And re-sketch. A lot. But these aren’t just pretty pictures, they’re blueprints that explore the bag’s proportions, strap placement, hardware, pocket depth, silhouette curve, and opening mechanism.

We think about:

• How the bag sits on the body
  
  

• How easy it is to open and close on the go
  
  

• Where weight is distributed
  
  

• Whether it works standing up or slouched against a seat
  
  

We’re not chasing novelty for novelty’s sake. The best features are often the quiet ones, the ones you don’t notice until they save your day. Like a subtly padded strap. Or a pocket positioned exactly where your hand naturally lands.

Material Sourcing: The Right Leather Makes the Bag

Once the shape is established, it’s time to match it with the right material. We use full-grain leather because it’s naturally strong, wears in beautifully, and doesn’t need artificial coatings or corrections. The texture, grain, and finish are left as intact as possible, so the bag you carry is as real as the life you live.

Some signature Aimee styles also feature novelty leathers, like denim-finished leather or embossed grain for a unique texture. These choices aren’t about flash. They’re about pairing practical functionality with unexpected beauty, because a bag can be both.

Each leather is tested for softness, weight, durability, and aging potential. The goal? A bag that looks and feels even better after a year of daily use.

Prototyping and Fit Testing

Once we have the sketches and the leather, it’s time to build the first version by hand. This is where we find out if the dimensions feel right, if the strap placement is off by half an inch, or if that outer pocket needs a hidden magnet.

It’s also when we begin real-world testing, does it actually hold what it’s supposed to? Can you grab your phone one-handed? Is the opening smooth but secure? Is the weight balanced when full?

A bag might go through several rounds of revisions before it earns its final silhouette. We don’t rush this part. Because if we wouldn’t carry it every day, we’re not going to ask you to.

The Final Build: Craft Meets Consistency

After the design is locked in, production begins, led by artisans who know leather like second nature. Each piece is cut, stitched, edge-finished, and assembled with precision. Zippers are tested. Lining is inspected. Hardware is hand-placed.

Even in production, our bags are treated with the care of a one-off piece. Why? Because your life isn’t mass-produced, and your bag shouldn’t feel that way either.

Every final bag goes through a quality check focused on both aesthetics and usability. Stitch alignment, pocket functionality, leather consistency, it all matters.

Final Thoughts: More Than a Bag

By the time you sling that signature tote over your shoulder or zip your crossbody closed, you’re not just holding a bag. You’re holding a process, a team’s vision, and a designer’s belief that real life deserves better design.

You’re holding something that was made for movement. For ease. For you.

So the next time you reach for your Aimee bag, know that it didn’t just arrive. It was imagined, tested, refined, and brought to life with every part of your day in mind.

Explore our Signature Summer Styles and find the bag that feels like it was made for your daily rhythm, because, well, it was.