And then, there was colour!
Meet Hayley and Tammy — besties, business partners and the fabulous founders of one of the country’s most successful handbag brands, Willow Bay Australia.
Famous for their neoprene tote bags, the girls keep the “oh wows” coming with their signature cross body bags, duffle bags, nappy bags, gym bags, travel bags and laptop bags. These down-to-earth Adelaide based mama bears have taken SA to the world, with their accessories proving super popular in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and America.
If you have a Willow Bay at home, then you know the quality of their products is impeccable. Having perfected the style and fabric, Hayley and Tammy are always looking for ways to grow their brand and lucky for me, colour was on the horizon.
“We adore art and love the idea of creating wearable art, handpainted by a local artist. It took a long time and many prototypes before we found the perfect medium for brightness in colour, longevity and wearability,” says Tammy.
And just like that, I’ve become part of the Willow Bay Australia story… say hello to the Art Gallery Collection! In late 2022, the girls pressed GO on an exclusive one-of-a-kind handpainted collection of Willow Bay bags.
“Each piece is unique and has its own personality. It’s something very special for people to be able to wear a piece of art (not just hang it on their walls), and it’s been extremely well received, with each drop selling out in hours. Plus, each piece comes with a certificate to authenticate the originality of the bag and free gift wrapping,” says Hayley.
Putting paintbrush to neoprene, I’ve been fortunate enough to be their first resident artist with the ‘Hayley Pearson x Willow Bay Collection’ going live a few months ago. It’s brought me so much joy splashing my neons and pastels all over these gorgeous bags — and then seeing people wearing them on the streets of Adelaide, well, that’s just incredible!
Creating original pieces of art ona handbag brand I’ve loved since its inception is a dream come true. They’re sold exclusively online with new drops every month — I better get busy painting!
