Lemolo Bags

While we’ve known about them for quite a while, we’ve never got around to writing about Lemolo Bags. We recently connected with Eli and asked him to share a few words about his company:

Lemolo Bags began about 3 years ago in my apartment. I started by making bags for myself, my girlfriend and a few others. Word spreads fast in a town like Portland and people are really eager to support local craftspeople here. I did a couple craft fairs put on by Bikeportland.org which really helped get my ideas out there. After that the internet did a lot of the work for me, although I have still never advertised. I tried to keep my blog updated with new stuff and ideas, and people started to notice.

The last year and a half has been a real good for Lemolo. I feel like my skills and ideas have improved a lot and it shows through my current line of bags. My two most popular items are probably the Portland Backpack and the Lemolo Panniers. The Basket Bag has always drawn a lot of attention as well, and with the latest re-design I think more and more people will be wanting one, at least I hope so! It’s really nice to be able to carry some of your load on your bike rather than solely on your back and I think people are realizing that.

Lemolo Bags has been a one-man operation up until a couple months ago. I now have a helper. Adam has a fair amount of experience in the messenger bag world. He was working for a small bag company in Columbus, OH when he decided it was time for a change. He contacted me when he was thinking about moving to Portland. We met up, he moved, and the rest is history. Adam is a very efficient, detail oriented person who thrives behind the sewing machine and I feel very fortunate to have him as a friend and co-worker. At this point, I am still the sole designer, I also choose all colors and cut out every Lemolo Bag and do a pretty fair amount of sewing myself. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also very satisfying.

I have been commissioned by and done custom work for a few well known builders and businesses based in Portland including Ahearne Cycles, M.A.P. Bicycles, Pereira Cycles, Rapha and more. These type of jobs really helped me push myself and break through boundaries I was limiting myself to. They have forced me to believe in myself, and to learn and to grow in a lot of different ways. The most recent work was a custom, integrated rack-specific bag for a bike that Tony Pereira built. That bike, in tandem with the bag, took 1st place at this year’s Oregon Manifest show!

I do less custom work these days than I used to. Right now I am working hard at keeping my bags up-to-date and creating new, innovative designs. I want people to ride their bike to work, the bar, their friends’ houses, and look good doing it! Lemolo Bags are designed for the everyday rider and the fashionable commuter to use year-round in all-weather.

Check out lemolobags.wordpress.com.