The Houndstooth Collection

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When I started my blog, I had no idea that it would take me here, that so many of you would read someone like me and that the Fude topic would be connecting such an amazing community together.
I am so happy to have this connection with you, extremely and forever grateful that I have been given this opportunity and to still be here today, it just blows my mind away!

Today it’s the beginning of a quite different chapter! When I first launched the brushes, I saw several comments wondering if I would bring pouches or storage accessories someday. I was happy to see that much interest but I did not know how or where to start! A few years later, finally, here we are!

These pouches are made in Japan. My number one prerequisite is to work with people that I admire and trust – I really treasure this. You will see more details about the manufacturing in my upcoming posts as I wanted you to know more about the behind the scenes.

This journey was special and extremely interesting and I am eager to share more details with you in the very near future. I often wonder what gives us the strength and courage to chase our goals in spite of the challenges and fears; I believe that the people around us and those who we interact with are most certainly the key.

So, to get back to the topic, I have hundreds of pouches for make-up and brushes at home because, just like brushes, these are something I always love to play with. The subject is still quite different from brushes so it requires a different approach. I tried different scenarios and different manufacturers before selecting them based on the quality they were able to provide. I then worked extensively with them to reach the result I was looking for.

In this Houndstooth Special Edition, which is Limited in quantity, we have two little items: a Brush Envelope and a Mini Zipped Pouch. Later, a permanent collection will come along with 5 designs, which should stay permanent as long as there is interest.

The permanent collection was meant to arrive before this Special Edition but covid brought another layer of complexity when dealing with logistics. We’ll have to wait a bit longer for the permanent items to be available. I estimate a few weeks.

Packaging

Every item will come in its dust bag, this is also the case for the permanent collection. The smaller dust bag pictured here is approx 24cm x 12 cm. I really love this size because there aren’t many dust bags with this layout and it can be pretty useful to own for so many other things.

The outside jacquard

The houndstooth jacquard is made in France by a renowned company, I’ll go there this year to spend some time with them as soon as travel is safely possible again.
It’s a mix of cotton, polyester and acetate and the care is dry cleaning only.
By the way, I am pretty sure you already know about this print and its history, it originated in Scotland in the 1800s and was often seen on woven wool outerwear for sheep herders. Major luxury brands use it on bags, ready to wear, haute couture, etc. I have a warm cosy houndstooth scarf from Max Mara and little silk scarfs or Mitzahs from Chanel and Dior, I love to combine them with a bit of red!

The permanent collection will not have this houndstooth jacquard on the outside.

The inside jacquard

The lining is a custom Sonia G jacquard woven in Japan. It’s not printed, it is a woven polyester fabric, black on black, the two directions of the weave is what makes the pattern show: Diamonds with some little logos here and there. You will see this same lining in this Special Edition and also in the permanent collection.

The lining has been coated twice; once with a coating that is usually found on lining materials to make them sturdier and thicker, and there is a second additional new type of coating which gives the lining a little more protection against liquids.

The Brush Envelope

So let’s dive into the first item, the Brush Envelope.
When closed, it’s approx 20 cm x 8 cm x 3 cm.

This was such a fun piece to create, this design is the result of a list of prerequisites that I have put together, then I worked with my sewing machine until the check list was all completed. This took me to this fun and unusual envelope shape:

My checklist and prerequisites:

• Compact but long enough for full size handles.
• Storage for 3 brushes – increased to 6 brushes.
• No protective plastic flaps attached on top of the brush heads.
  I find that sometimes the little plastic flaps next to the brush heads can damage the bristles when they are closed as they push from the top, or they may alter the shape of a brush.
  I just wanted to do it differently: this Envelope comes with a removable flap that is stored on the side. If you need a protective flap so that the brushes from each side don’t touch, you can take the removable flap out, keep one side of the flap inside the pocket and the other over the brushes. If or when you don’t want to use it, you can fold the plastic flap and store it in its pocket behind the brushes.
• Possible to store the brushes in either direction -this allows for a more compact design and the background can easily be sanitized.
• Allowing access to a brush without being 100% open: open the snap button and one velcro side for example.

Storage and functionality

This pouch can hold up to 6 brushes, 3 bigger ones on the right and 3 smaller ones on the left. We can also use it to store a long lipstick or pencils, it depends on their thickness.

The little thin pocket behind the brushes is there to store the removable flap but you can also store something very small or thin, like a tissue or cotton pads. I actually love to keep a business card there, I don’t need cards often, but for some reason it seems that I need them in the most unexpected situations 😀

You can hold the Envelope with one hand or place it open on your desk or vanity. Sometimes opening only one velcro side is enough to pick the item we need, it depends if the flap is in place or stored in the back pocket.

This is so nice if we have just a few items to carry with us, it’s not something to over pack with items but just to safely keep some necessities. What I love about this design is that it doesn’t look like a make-up pouch, it’s a bit different, it can be on our work place or desk and look quite intriguing.

The Mini Zipped Pouch

This Mini Zipped Pouch will currently only be available in this Houndstooth jacquard and in a Limited Edition. It’s approx 16.5cm x 9 cm high x 3cm.

It comes with the small size dustbag, same as the Brush Envelope, and has the same lining.

Functionality

I have noticed that this is the type of pouch and size that I use the most on a daily basis, for anything actually, it’s incredibly useful. It is big enough for sunglasses, a mask or smaller items that we may not want to throw in our handbag directly, and it’s not too bulky that it takes all the space in a handbag.

It had to be compact but long enough to hold mascaras and my favorite lipsticks since they are often in the longer packaging style. This Viseart Violette palette is 10.5 x 8.5 cm and it fits nicely in this mini pouch.

This is an example of what it fits together:

And this is what I would actually carry with me on a daily basis. Hand cream, hand sanitizer, face cream, lip balm, maybe a lipstick, a small microfiber cloth, some medicine, elastic bands, etc. I also carry a tiny pot of foundation if I have an appointment, for example brows, dentist, etc, I like to do mini touch ups to cover the redness afterwards.

The manufacturer

I will get back to you with some fun content about the manufacturer soon, I want you to know more about this process so more information and pictures will be posted as soon as I receive them (in a few days). Again, covid restricts movement and visits so simple things can take quite new proportions.

The price

These items are sold separately.

The Brush Envelope costs 85$ and will be available starting March 9, 2021 @ 10 AM PT on Beautylish. This Envelope will also be in the permanent collection at a later date but with a different jacquard on the outside.

The Mini Zipped Pouch costs 70$ and will also be available starting March 9, 2021 @ 10 AM PT on Beautylish. It will not be available in the permanent collection, only this Special Edition will be released.

Their price reflects their cost, the quality of the materials, the craftsmanship, time and effort required per item. For example, both these materials with patterns need to be cut, aligned and sewn with much more attention versus plain materials, therefore, it automatically takes longer. The quantity of parts and components add to the cost, not only because of how many components were added but these will increase the time spent on each item, exponentially.

I hope you will love them and I will be so excited to share more about the process, very soon!

Thank you!!!

Thank you so much for your incredible support as always, I am blessed to have such amazing people around me, always motivating me to pursue my dreams!

I hope you are well, safe and that we can soon travel again and spend more time with our family and friends! I miss everyone so much and I also miss Japan, I have a trip planned for September providing we can move again!

With love,
Sonia