31. Justine Rouch, Founder & CEO of La Pochette

Company: La Pochette

Website: https://lapochette.co/

 

About Justine & La Pochette

La Pochette is a luxury sustainable lifestyle company. They design bags and accessories for the way people live and move today. During a given day, you could be going to the office, meeting a colleague for a coffee, taking a spinning class, flying to New York on a business trip, taking a dip in the pool, or joining friends for dinner. Combining intelligent design with super functionality, every item is carefully considered to be the best fit for your lifestyle.

Wherever your day takes you, there’s a La Pochette to help you transition seamlessly from one activity to the next.

The idea for La Pochette came about because the founder would often avoid working out during the day, as it meant having to carry a heavy gym bag, as well as a handbag and laptop. Who wants to look like a packhorse on the tube?!? The lightbulb moment came when Justine was in a changing room after a sweaty spin class. She didn’t need a gym bag!! All she needed was a bag to put her clean or sweaty kit in, and a few post class essentials like moisturiser.

Everything else was provided. Cleats, towels, hairdryers, deodorant, shampoo, shower gel. Most studios and gyms at the time provided a plastic bag for dirty kit, but she knew this wasn’t the solution, (not only from an environmental point of view, but who wants a plastic bag in their new handbag?!?). She went on a search to find a suitable bag and realised it didn’t exist! When she spoke to friends, they agreed that it was a great idea, and requested that if she found one, could she buy one for them too!

The bag needed to be big enough to fit her kit in, lightweight, washable, and stylish that she wouldn’t be embarrassed if it was seen outside of her handbag. However, it also made sense for it to be anti-microbial, and deodorising. Finally, to be as sustainable as possible, the fabric should be made from recycled plastic bottles.

Having spent twenty years in the sports and luxury fashion world, she saw the huge rise in the athleisure market. However, accessories were usually overlooked. They were either functional or attractive, but rarely both. So, she decided to create a brand that would cater to both, and La Pochette was born.

The future is incredibly exciting. They are launching new products this year that they have been working on since before the pandemic. In addition to new products, they are also expanding internationally.

 

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