What exactly am I buying?
Should you select a reward with a product, you are purchasing actual products from the first run at the factory! There are three items in this first run that can be purchased in multiple combinations:
1- Wide Wing Strap
2- Dinah Tote
3- Bernie Bag
How do I choose my Wide Wing Strap fabric?
Should you choose a reward with a strap, we will send you an email for you to select which limited edition fabric you would like. We will update this sale page once fabrics are sold out throughout the campaign, so act quickly!
When will I receive my items?
The factory has estimated it will take 8 weeks after the order is placed (upon the close of this campaign). We estimate we will be shipping by the end of September, and hopefully earlier!
Why Crowd Fund?
Before crowd funding existed, if we wanted to create a company like this, we would have to order hundreds, if not thousands of products from a factory, guessing how much we would sell of each type. We would then have to find retail outlets to sell our products, as well as put them on eCommerce outlets and a website. We would have to take on the risk being stuck storing everything while we tried to sell them, and being stuck with the sunk expense of producing them if we couldn't move all the inventory!
By crowd funding, we can go right to you, the buyer, and make sure we know exactly what you want before we place the order with the factory. We will produce what we have pre-sold, so we don't risk winding up with tons of stock you don't want (nor do we have room to store!)
Can you tell me more about the products?
The Wide Wing Strap is built to be ergonomically comfortable and distribute the weight of your bag across your body while capping your shoulder for comfort. The same strap can be quickly converted between a wide cross-body and a double strap shoulder bag and you can purchase additional fabric options so you can swap it out to match any outfit or mood. It can even be used as a backpack (in a pinch) when coupled with the Dinah Tote. It is made from a breathable cotton fabric.
The convertible Dinah Tote enables a half and full size tote or diaper bag in one. It transforms in seconds to accommodate the changing gear you have with you, all in one bag. The added hooks inside allow you to clip keys, wristlets, umbrellas, baby toys, a diaper pad, and anything with a loop for easy access. The hooks also enable you to convert your bag into a simple backpack if you need to be truly hands free.
The Bernie Bag laptop sleeve can be used on its own with a Litty Bird Wide Wing Strap or it can be clipped into the main Dinah Tote for easy access to get through airport security, making travel just a little less stressful.
The materials for both bags are made from a light grey, fashionable, water resistant nylon/polyester that cleans up easily and goes with every outfit and every strap.
Will you be making these products even if you don't reach your goal?
Absolutely! The funds to produce the products are already set aside. The minimum for the first run is $10K, and the goal of $15K is to produce enough extra products to have on hand to bring to retail and wholesale. But even if we fall short of $10K, the minimum will definitely be produced (it will just be more out of pocket!).
Where did the idea for this invention come from?
One day I was rushing to the train and my laptop strap broke. I cursed my luck and found something in my purse, tied it on, and made the train just in time.
As it turned out, my rigged strap was incredibly comfortable; it stayed put and didn't dig, while also making the heavy laptop feel light. When I got to the train, two women stopped me to compliment me on my “very pretty bag” and asked where I bought it. I laughed as I explained that I had rigged it just a few moments before out of desperation…
And the idea was born.
Check out the video in the main page for more about the fun origin story!
Why "Litty Bird"?
My Grandmother, Melitta, was "Grandma Litty" to me. She came to the US from Austria during World War II at the age of 11. She and her mother were permitted into America, but her father didn't have the same fortune due to the quota for his particular country of birth. He had to spend many years in Cuba where he wasn't allowed to work. So my strong as nails great grandmother, previously a business owner, took on jobs as a domestic employee to make sure she could provide for her family.
They got out of Europe just in time. Grandma Litty didn't talk much about their departure, but it was part of the fabric that made her the woman I came to know when I spent every weekend with her and my Grandfather while my parents launched a business.
By that time, my Grandfather, Bernard (Bernie/Axel) had retired and was dabbling in sculpture. Another great influence on my life, there was nothing my super hero "Grampa Axel" couldn't do. He was an inventor and artist at heart and with a scientific mind, he taught me to never stop exploring, inventing, and discovering.
My Grandmother was wrapping up her life dedicated to nursing when I came along. Her first job out of nursing school was with the Margaret Sanger Institute: teaching women the importance of birth control. She had survived breast cancer in her 30s and the radical treatment that existed at that time. She was a super star of a woman and an incredible influence on my life, not to mention an inspiration to women everywhere.
Together, my grandparents showed me a world filled with art, nature, food, and humor. They were both tenacious people who loved each other, and their families, fiercely. They appreciated the world around them and inspired us to take our own paths, stand up for our beliefs, appreciate nature, and to laugh often.
This is for them. Motivated by them. And would have been encouraged by them.
