Meet Tuesday Grant of BB Taylor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tuesday Grant.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been creating and carrying BB TAYLOR Posy Bags for years, and I found myself constantly stopped on the street by women and men of every age, asking where can they get a bag like mine. Brand inspiration came one night out to dinner with my brother Jack when he told me, “I look over and see your bag on the table, and it just makes me happy” – stirring the BB TAYLOR motto and our mission – GO HAPPY.

Last year, at 26, I decided to take a leap, take a chance, and share these fun flower bags with the world. Encouraged and supported by family and friends to defy the odds of designing something truly unique, locally manufacturing a beautiful, high-quality bag, and building BB TAYLOR from scratch, I am inspired every day by the artists I know, love, and work with – especially my mom Taylor, after whom I named the company.

I thought it would be hard to get respect as a girly, under-30 business person. But to my pleasant surprise, people I encounter are excited to do business with a woman-owned, fun-forward business. People get genuinely excited about the bags – I’ve heard over and over that it seems like there’s nothing left in a fashion that’s new, but everyone always says these bags are something they’ve never seen before.

I think the biggest boost I get is how people react – over and over – to the bags. Everyone I know who has a BB TAYLOR gets stopped on the street EVERY time they carry a bag. At the retail shows we’ve gone to, shop owners say “I want to stock the bags AND I want a bag!” I just love seeing people do a double take and say, “Oh my god – that is the cutest bag I’ve ever seen”.

Especially after the last couple of years, people want something fun – something special and just something that makes them feel happy again. That’s the best part of what we do. Seeing people smile so big when they hold the bags is the best!

BB TAYLOR has been featured in VOGUE and we are a brand partner at Wolf & Badger, a global online marketplace for ethical, independent brands.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
A former fast fashion offender, now a slow fashion advocate, I founded BB TAYLOR to create beautiful and timeless handbags that would make everyone happy to carry. Designed and made in the US with responsible materials and happy workers, our Posy Bag collections are designed to be something you’ll have and use forever.

Finding the resources to manufacture a quality product here in the U.S. and find responsibly sourced materials from around the world – especially with all of the supply issues that have surrounded the pandemic was a huge challenge.

I lost my job during the pandemic because the media company I worked for was forced to close. When I started BB Taylor, I was determined to have a company that would make beautiful products and create jobs, not just resell fast fashion made somewhere else.

We researched materials for months to find the right mix of quality and responsibly sourced. We custom-designed bag components for both the form and function we envisioned – a lot of trial and error. At first glance, you might look at a BB TAYLOR bag and see a flower handbag, but look further and you’ll see bags that are hand-made with high-quality materials from the ground up and I’m proud to say, designed and manufactured here in Southern California by artisans we pay a living wage. One of the most important aspects to me is to make a quality bag that you’ll want to use forever – and made so you can. Our bags look delicate, but they feel great to carry and are really sturdy.

I personally believe the best way to move towards sustainable fashion is to start with beautiful, well-made pieces that you love year after year and wouldn’t dream of throwing away! I guarantee you can take out your Just Whistle black/white Posy Bag in ten years and it will still look great and you’ll look great carrying it!

I used to love shopping at huge retail stores, but now that we as consumers have access to information about the conditions workers endure to churn out fast-fashion it’s not only the duty of the consumer but also brands to commit to creating ethical fashion.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At BB TAYLOR, it’s our mission to help people embrace the fun and color of life. I am thrilled to be able to share these bags with you, and you can feel good about using them. Every worker along our supply-chain is paid a living and fair wage. The leather components of our bags are co-products, which means that the leather is a byproduct of the meat industry and uses the waste from that industry to create something of use.

I always struggled to find a bag that would add to my outfit, not detract. Most bags feel like a utilitarian addition, and I grew tried of the same bedazzled clutch for evening wear. Carrying a BB TAYLOR is special, and it makes any outfit you wear as special as you.

Each BB TAYLOR bag is designed, sewn, and individually adorned by artists in Southern California using responsibly sourced materials from all over the world. We go all out to give you a work of art to wear that’s authentic and original.

Each BB TAYLOR bag is made individually by artists who love to create and love giving you a work of art as joyful and unique as you.

BB TAYLOR is the original flower bag, redefining what a purse can be. People often think the flowers are real, but every BB TAYLOR is made with faux-flowers. It’s basically a bouquet that will never wilt.

BB TAYLOR bags are also perfect for weddings. Whether it’s the bride, the I-Do-Crew, or even if you’re just attending as a guest, BB TAYLOR gives everyone a new way to bouquet. Not only are BB TAYLOR bags better for the environment, but it gives anyone a beautiful keepsake they can use for years to remember the beauty of their wedding.

Wedding bouquets and centerpieces can be one of the biggest environmental wastes at a wedding. Cut flowers carry a huge carbon footprint with 80% of U.S. flowers being imported – usually by plane. Flowers need constant refrigeration which uses hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are 9000 times more potent than CO2 at warming the atmosphere.

Growing cut flowers also requires pesticides which pollute waterways, harm workers and can destroy important bug species.

With the exception of a stem pressed in a scrapbook, wedding flowers are all thrown away shortly after the wedding – creating waste while leaving no lasting memory of a couple’s special day.

A BB TAYLOR Posy Bag is a stunning complement to a bride or bridesmaid dress, looks gorgeous in photos and makes a fabulous gift for wedding party members of a bag they’ll love to use forever!

Each Posy Bag is made with responsibly sourced materials and produced entirely by local artisans in Southern California.

Best of all, a Posy Bag will get oohs and aah on a couple’s special day and be a gorgeous accessory for many years.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My advice about mentors is don’t overlook the people close to you – there are mentors and talented people all around you – and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Some of my best advice and support has come from people closest to me. My best friend started out helping me with Instagram and is now my Media Director. My favorite “aunts” have helped mentor me on business and creative ideas. As far as networking, what’s important to me is to think about how I can partner with people – not just make connections for my benefit. I try to be collaborative and think about what we can do to promote their brand or business as well. Find people who are as excited about what you do as you are.

Pricing:

• $395 The Rosy Posy Build-A-Bag
• $645-$695 The Mini Posy
• $785-$885 The Posy Bag

Contact Info:

• Website: bbtaylor.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbtaylorcouture/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbtaylorcouture
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbtaylorcouture

Image Credits
J Gray Photography Vanessa Stump