Jessie Wong

So I started UMA 10 years ago when I couldn't find a bag that would fit everything I needed to carry in a day.

So that was my laptop, lunchbox, visual diary, charger, makeup bag, you know, the kitchen sink.

And I think that that was a pretty common thing.

story at the time for students.

I was a student in Dunedin.

I had, you know, a canvas tote with all of my twiles and bits and pieces for my design degree.

And I really just wanted something that reflected my design aesthetic value and materials and just functioned really well and had that utility to it.

So that's why I started making bags.

I'd always wanted to have my own business somehow, but I don't know if it was that.

I just love making and then I loved making for myself.

I worked in a fashion boutique when I was a student and I remember walking in one day with one of my bags and my boss, Amy, said, what's that and where did you get it?

And I said, I made it.

And she's like, OK, well, when you make them for real, bring them to me.

I want the exclusive.

So that was sort of the first push into the commercial realm.

But I suppose in New Zealand, especially in the fashion industry, if you want to be able to build a brand and craft things, you have to be able to do almost the full breadth of tasks within that yourself.

Everything from the construction of the bags to procuring materials to photo shoots to sales to, you know, opening stores, etc.

You have to be able to kind of do it all yourself.

So it's my name, Jessica Yume Wong.

It's my middle name.