Bags of Plenty was set up in November 2014 by sisters Vanessa Ramm and Caroline Mackness.
When on holiday in Ibiza, a couple of years before Bags of
Plenty, Caroline visited a hippy market. She came across a stall that was selling
beautifully handmade leather bags, all different colours and designs. She was
amazed by the quality of the material and individuality of the designs. Having
brought one of the bags back to the UK, Caroline would often receive
compliments on her new purchase and friends and family wanted to know where she
got it from.
The next year, on her return to Ibiza, she visited The World
Family Ibiza shop where the bags are made, and she bought five to bring home
for friends as Christmas presents. Once again, the bags received the same reaction,
and Caroline saw an opportunity to make the bags more accessible. It was then
that she decided to contact World Family Ibiza to see if she could sell their
gorgeous bags in England. There was nothing like these bags on the market in
the UK. They had outlets in Greece, Switzerland, Holland and Spain but nothing in
the UK.
Vanessa was in a similar situation. Whilst on her travels, Vanessa would see wonderful items that she knew would have a market in the UK. Having had a career in Museum Retailing and Product Development, she found that she still held more than just a consumer's interest in discovering new and interesting products. Whether it is a machine knit scarf from Electronic Sheep in Dublin, beautiful leather accessories and jewellery from an exclusive supplier in Greece or specially commissioned lines (taking existing products and adapting them for customers), she gets a real thrill from sourcing products and making them available to a wider audience.
As a team, they are determined to keep the product selection fresh and exciting, whilst still ensuring quality and design. They’ve found that their customers really appreciate and connect to their ethos.
Vanessa studied History of Art and worked for The Royal
Academy of Arts for 10 years where she held the position of publications
manager. One of her responsibilities was running the Museum shop and she would
have to liaise with Royal Academicians on what designs they could use on new products.
Caroline studied Horticulture and was a florist in London.
Both sisters are keen horsewomen and it’s through this shared love of horses and competing that they decided to link their interests together with their new business and will be holding trade stands at various horse events throughout the year as well as music festivals and Christmas Fayres.
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