Confessions of a bag lover: An unofficial sherpa's life

Right, so here's the thing about being a bag person (and yes, you know exactly what I mean)...

You're walking down the office corridor at the end of work, arms full of your four essential bags because obviously you need every one of them (work laptop bag, food bag, gym bag and hand bag), you drop something and it’s now a balancing act with your four bags, you pick up the item, when your pants decide to have a complete botanical breakdown. Yup, split right down the seam. In front of everyone in the main foyer of the Hospital that you work at. You could look at it, that it was the pants just wilted under the pressure of my bag-carrying ambitions. 

Greetings, I'm your resident bag-loving, unofficial Sherpa, did I mention who loves bags, oh and great design and especially love flowers and the impact that flowers make on our lives everyday. 

But first friends, I have some radical bag stories to share, for the love of bags, from the brilliant moments, to the absolute disasters and everything in between to tell you that’ll make you snort-laugh your tea (or coffee). 

You know that feeling when you're getting ready for your friend's wedding and you find THE CLUTCH? The one that actually fits your phone without you having to perform some sort of Tetris or surgery miracle? It's like finding actual pockets in a dress. Oh-so-sweet when it happens. Unlike me, ordering a beautiful shinny silver ‘horse shaped bag’ online which was as inconvenient and as good as functioning as a chocolate teapot. No it wasn’t in the kids section, and it looked pretty though!

But then there are moments that really stem from our obsession.That time we all had matching bags: a tale of three friends, one event, and a not so unexpected expected outcome. So myself and two of my friends have the exact same work bag. Same teal colour, same EVERYTHING. You got to an event you left with your bag thinking it’s your bag, but it’s your friend's bag and suddenly you're home and now the proud owner of three lip balms, kids scribble drawings and a grocery list that says "buy more fruit." The irony is not lost on any of us.

Here's the real question though - why do we do this to ourselves? Why are we carrying bags to carry our other bags? We're basically cultivating our own little ecosystem of bags and different materials. This is life, we are brilliant at being our own personal pack yaks.

But the interesting thing is that at a deeper level, our bags are basically walking billboards for our souls. Think about it. That structured work bag you're eyeing? It's not just screaming "I mean business," it's whispering "I've got my life together" (even if you are treading water like a duck). Meanwhile, that slouchy tote that's seen better days? That's your "I'm approachable and definitely not intimidating" flag flying high bag you take on the weekends for the market. It says something about us, it says a story, and it has moments like my botanical split to think about as a memory. 

My favourite bag to date was a beautiful grass green cross body bag, and man that beauty shined. It was used thoroughly, to the point the D hook brook and MacGyvered it by  replacing it with a Carabiner to just let it keep going that little longer, like the train that could. Can you image what billboard I was saying when people looked at me. But who cares! 

The real kicker though? Sometimes we're not buying bags for who we are - we're buying them for who we want to bloom into or sometimes who we think we might or must be. That sleek designer piece isn't just a purchase, it's a declaration. It's saying "I'm planting seeds for my future self," even if your current self is eating cereal or licking the baked bean tin for dinner again. 

Our bags are basically doing all the talking without us having to say a word. They're our silent storytellers, dropping hints about whether we're pilates-mat-carrying zen masters or laptop-lugging corporate warriors. Today's tiny clutch says "I'm feeling cute and carefree," while tomorrow's massive tote announces "I'm prepared for absolutely everything, including the apocalypse."

There are all kinds of bag species out in the wild.

The Colour Shifters

These are the bloomers who change their bag with every outfit, like tending a garden where every flower is perfectly placed. Every colour picked, every shape intentional. They’ve mastered the art of bag-to-outfit coordination and, honestly, we’re all a little in awe. Jealous. Impressed. Completely captivated by their wardrobe symphony and organisation.

The Garden Planners

Then there’s the capsule crowd. The ones who’ve embraced the beauty of less. Their bag garden is curated and considered, every piece with purpose. Three bags, maybe four, and they’re ready to bloom in any season, any setting, without breaking a sweat. It’s like they’ve cracked the secret to effortless style while the rest of us dig through drawers wondering which bag speaks to “Saturday brunch with a maybe.”

The Occasion Bloomers

Next come the event bloomers. Everyday? One bag, loyal and lasting. But the moment a wedding, work do, or girls' night out appears, they blossom into some new personality. Suddenly it’s sequins, metallics or something with unexpected petals. Like watching a quiet bud open wide for the spotlight.

The Forever Flowers

And of course, the one-bag wonders. These practical romantics have found the one. A bag that does it all. Rain, shine, weekday, weekend. No switching, no second-guessing. It’s a beautiful kind of loyalty. They know what works, and they’re not tempted by every new bloom that crosses their social feed. 

So, bloom like you!

There’s no right or wrong way, At Anema we believe when you boom, we all bloom! And every bag holds a memory, a moment, a chapter in the life of the you carrying it, and the people in your life woven into it. 

We want you to bloom like you. Tall? Be tall. Got curly hair? Let it curl. You were born to be you, and your bag was made to carry your story. Because nothing looks better than being completely, unapologetically you. 

Come be part of our journey as together the Anema brand grow and blooms over time. 

Blossoming forward,