StyleNest take five minutes with the woman behind PacaPod, Jacqueline Waggett to find out more about her inspiration behind the fashion-forward baby bags and life in Devon.
After launching in 2008, the multifunctional baby bag has become the go-to baby bag for style and functionality, and is today adored by many, including a huge fan base of celebrity mums. The PacaPod ethos aims to help mum’s get organised during one of the most chaotic periods of their lives without compromising on style.
What inspired you to launch PacaPod?
Having a baby, losing control of life, liking to be organised, frustration that I couldn’t find anything that met my needs.
Being a mum of two, designer, inventor and businesswoman, what do you do to unwind and relax?
Running along the beach and cliffs and thinking up new ideas. I particularly love reading & doing art with my children.
You recently relocated the company to Devon, what was your reason behind this?
A desire to live back in the countryside (I was brought up in the countryside) and raise my children closer to the way I was raised, in a community with nature at hand and being able watch the seasons change.
Can you tell our readers a little bit about your new collections?
PacaPod “lite” has been engineered through a desire to create a super lightweight bag, yet with all the practicality of a PacaPod 3in1 bag perfect for travel and massively adaptable due to folding pod. It’s perfect for twins with the new trio of pods as the more you pack, weight becomes more important.
What inspires you with your designs? Is it trends, people, places?
The love of bags and functionality and a questioning head. I’m always asking “how can I make this work better/easier/lighter more useful for a mum and dad? I’d say it’s both people and places but most importantly helping people with babies to go places.
What advice would you give new mums wanting to shift the baby weight?
Ha – I’m still working on that one (I’ll let you know if I discover the answer myself). It’s important to note that you are not a bad mother if you carry a few extra pounds, I see it as part of the lovely tapestry of life, your body will never be the same again but it’s great to embrace this.
What advice would you give to young and aspiring designers?
Be a pirate, don’t join the Navy. With the skill you have, do something different and innovative with your talent. Don’t follow the crowd and leave this world a better place than when you joined it by leaving something better than was there before you.
Can you give our readers insight into any exciting projects or collaborations you might be working on now or the future?
Right now we are about to launch in the USA which is incredibly exciting. Design wise I have a new idea every day, the opportunities are endless.
How do you balance functionality with style?
The PacaPod 3in1 concept is the perfect vehicle for this as the brains and functionality of the brand is on the inside whilst the style is on the outside – style for the heart, function for the head for fashion.
What advice would you give new mums when choosing what PacaPod to buy?
Pick a style that fits the impression you had of yourself pre-children there is no need to compromise who you are when you become a mother (and we have prices from £60-£265) so there’s a budget to suit most.
When you’re not busy working, what do you enjoy doing with the family?
Just being with them. I I think we rush around trying to entertain our children, but my happiest moments are when I really engage with them and not get distracted by the noise of life. Whether painting, gardening or cooking, I see my kids for who they are and they feel loved for having quality time and not for the stuff we give them.
Explain a typical day in the life of Jacqueline?
I wake around 6.30am, I still feel excited for my kids to come into us after a night’s sleep which is then followed by breakfast with the family and then into the office for 8.30am. I try to finish on time (most days) in time to pick up the kids from school. Typically this is followed by time with my kids or catching up at another local mum’s house, perhaps with homework at the beach and a picnic, followed by kids bedtime at 7.30pm. I then cook dinner, spend time with my partner, or catch-up with friends – living in a small community there is always some project to get involved with.
With technology constantly changing, how does PacaPod stay up to date with the latest trends?
Fortunately we have some fantastic partners of the business that work part time who also work with lots of other brands and this constantly keeps us all up to date as much as is possible.
We love how PacaPod is both mum and dad friendly. What was your idea behind making PacaPod so versatile?
In my mind the question is why make something that isn’t versatile, my partner is equally responsible for child care and I guess it’s just the way I see the world – functionally.
How important are the materials you use?
Incredibly and this is the hard part to keep up, the fabrics form an integral part of how a product works. How the materials can be cleaned must meet testing regulations as well as be hard wearing, not retain damp, be insulating and still feel beautiful and yet functional.
What advice would you give our readers who want to start their own business?
Research and focus group it to death before you begin, my first, second and third idea looked nothing like a PacaPod. PacaPod was formed from lots of mums and dads feedback, not solely my idea…. It evolved.
Visit www.pacapod.com