The recent chilly weather makes me think that it’s not too soon to start thinking about holiday gift-giving, so I put Lisa Marie Grillos, half of Hambone Designs, in the hot seat. The SF-based duo of she and Hernan Barangan creates simple (and desirable) bike bags using cordura with nylon lining, heavyweight cotton with canvas duck lining, and leather.
SF: How did you come up with the idea for the bike bags?
LMG: My family has a handmade-only rule for holiday presents, and last year my older brother Hernan had started working with leather so he made the first version of this bag for our younger brother Alex. I loved it and thought it was something that should be brought to the masses. I tweaked the design a little bit and came up with the first fabric prototype, and then started working on the venture.
How do you and your brother split the company responsibilities?
Now that we are working with small-scale manufacturers, our roles are shifting a bit from him only making leather bags and me only making fabric bags. Our manufacturer is in Los Angeles so Hernan is in charge of the liaison with them. I have been focusing on marketing, customer relations, and wholesale inquiries, as well as choosing the fabric which is my favorite thing to do. Alex helps out with business ideas and prototyping.
Where can we find them locally?
We will soon be carried at Mission Bicycle Company, and we’ll also have booths at Handmade Ho Down, the first Etsy-sponsored SF event on December 3rd, and at Renegade Craft Fair at Fort Mason on December 19th and 20th.