Sonny Angels, lace bows and flip phones: How five Australian creatives are wearing bag charms
IMAGE VIA @martinamartian
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
“I want you to hear me coming!”
My friends and I have an unwritten tradition. When one of us goes travelling overseas, we try to gift each other a cute keyring. Our collections have grown – I’ve got a Minion that’s also a coin purse, a Miffy that holds a public transport card and a fluffy baby chick that’s dressed up as a frog. After my trip to China last year, I gave my friends an array of crocheted fruit, and during my recent trip to Thailand, I brought home a selection of crocheted green vegetables.
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There’s something so joyful and sweet about a bag charm. They’re often quite kitschy and playful and hold a story or two. As Martina Calvi says, they’re her “emotional support trinkets”. It’s why we asked some of our favourite Australian creatives to show us their bag charm collection. Eye candy, incoming.
Tara Chandra, digital creator
I feel like you can learn a lot about a person based on their bag charms. I’ve collected half of my keychains and charms from my travels, some have been gifts, some were handmade by friends and family, and some are random bits and bobs. Some honourable mentions to my Sonny Angel keychain I found in Gangneung, South Korea (they were almost half the price there!) and my crocheted pieces: a persimmon I bought in Wuhan, China, my cherries from a huge underground market in Seoul, South Korea, a strawberry and bee made by my cousin, and a Miffy made by my friend Tonia!
Martina Calvi, owner and designer of Martina’s Tiny Store
I love my emotional support trinkets! A lot of them I’ve made or collected over the years – I turned my Rare Beauty mini blush into a keychain which ended up going viral and leading to some exciting things with them. I particularly love the kitschy tourist keychains you find at airports, they’re such a fun, silly memento. I also love my Glossier flip phone trinket, and my Sonny Angel and Sylvanian family trinkets, which I bought from another small biz, Beadz N Shit. They keep me company!
Lara Severino, digital creator
To put it simply, bag charms make me happy. Maybe they’re a gentle ode to my longing to hold onto childhood nostalgia, but there’s just something about being able to decorate and make things look fun and pretty that makes my inner child so happy.
I became a complete bag charm convert on my recent trip to Seoul, South Korea. I visited Dongdaemun Bead Market, a DIY lover’s dream – full of charms, keychains, jibbitz, bows and beads all at wholesale prices. So I, of course, stocked up. And bonus points because some of the bag charms I got double as sneaker charms too!
I’m also obsessed with my Sonny Angel keychain from the small Aussie business Sonny Bunny Keyrings. They’re all so unique and cute and I absolutely love my little cow.
Olivia Walker, digital creator
Keychains and charms are my all-time favourite accessory. I’m fairly confident I entered the world keychain in hand. Before I leave the house I always add a number of charms to my bag as my way of carrying a little piece of myself along with me. I want you to hear me coming!
My favourite bags are made by Hello Sisi; she designs a lot of them with an eyelet to attach keychains to, perfect for the charm lover. My most loved pieces are a tiny Tamagotchi figurine I finally found on Mercari after a year of hunting for it online, my beaded animal keychains from a little locksmith I found, and this little bichon dog my friend bought back from America.
Catherine Jia, digital creator
My bag charms are all about keeping it cute and simple! The lace bow is excess fabric found at a recycling centre called Reverse Garbage. The adorable Sylvanian charm is handmade by Yasashi Charm; we love a sprinkle of handmade magic. And my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, which is my favourite accessory. I set the cover photo to match my outfit and use the phone as a mirror to check on my lipstick or to snap a quick selfie.
Want to know more about the history of the bag charm? Read this.
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