Who’s That Designer? Barbara Bradley Baekgaard for Vera Bradley
Barbara Bradley Baekgaard (left) with Co-Founder Patricia R. Miller | Photo Credit
Do you love to travel? I can’t imagine anything more fun than a road trip with my boyfriend, but one thing I don’t love about the process is packing for it. I can never decide what to bring, and I always end up with way more than I actually need (like 7 pairs of shoes for a two day trip).
Yet one thing I always do when getting away is use Vera Bradley products to pack my belongings. From their huge duffel bags to their tiny makeup cases, the pretty patterns in washable fabrics have never failed me – and it’s all thanks to Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the company.
Want to learn more about Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Vera Bradley? Keep reading for ten fun facts on the CCO and an outfit inspired by her and Vera Bradley.
(Missed a part of our series? Shock your family at Christmas dinner with your knowledge on J.Crew, Free People, H&M, J. Brand Jeans, Coach, Nike, Madewell, TOMS, Lacoste, Banana Republic, Anthropologie and Topshop.)
10 Fun Facts about Vera Bradley Chief Creative Officer Barbara Bradley Baekgaard
A Vera Bradley holiday shot | Photo Credit
- Barbara co-founded Vera Bradley in March of 1982, when she was waiting for a flight in Atlanta and noticed a lack of feminine-looking luggage. Barbara said she borrowed $250 from her husband to start the company, and within a year she had made over $10,000.
- Barbara said one fun fact she’s reluctant to admit is that she used to be a professional water skier, due to a move from Winnetka, Illinois to Miami Beach, Florida that took place in the middle of a school year.
- The company is named after Barbara’s mother, Veronica Bradley, who was handpicked by Elizabeth Arden herself to model for the company in the 1930s.
- The 5 necessities she keeps in her bag? “Wallet, iPod, makeup, cellphone and keys.”
- Barbara said she gets ideas for designs from a yearly trip to Milan, Rome and Paris, where she studies the colors and trends that “haven’t made their way to the states yet.”
- After she lost a friend to breast cancer in the early 1990s, Barbara and co-founder Patricia established the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, which has donated more than $10 million to the Indiana University Cancer Center. Barbara also serves as a board member for the foundation.
- Barbara believes her greatest successes have been her children, grandchildren, and marrying her husband, Peer.
- Barbara considers keeping up with family a “huge priority” and said her biggest challenge is keeping track of the birthdays of her four children and 12 grandchildren.
- Although the Vera Bradley company is based in Indiana, Barbara enjoys spending most of her time in New York City or at her home in Seaside, Florida.
- Her advice for those who are looking to start their own companies? “If you have an idea, run with it. Don’t think twice, just go with it like I did.”
A Look Inspired by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Vera Bradley
Blanket, Sweater Dress, Scarf, Bag, Leggings, Boots
No matter how far I’m going, I always try to be as comfortable as possible when I travel. Stretchy leggings, a sweater dress and scarf allow you to look polished enough to stop for a good dinner, yet comfortable enough to relax and play car games while on the road. Your clothes and essentials will fit into a large Vera tote, and if you’re lucky enough to be the passenger and not the driver, a coordinating blanket will keep you warm during a short nap.
What do you think of Vera Bradley?
Do you like Vera Bradley bags, or do you find them too ubiquitous on your campus? Did this brand’s story inspire you? Tell us about it! Have we missed a brand that you want to know more about? Leave us a comment and we’ll cover it in our next installment!
Posted on on December 20, 2011 / Filed Under: Fashion News / Tags: Designers, Travel, Vera Bradley, Who's That Designer?
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VB bags were all over the place when I was in high school. I’ve never really liked the look of them, and not being able to escape them five days a week for four years didn’t help.
Kaitlin
While I am the first to admit that seeing five girls in a row with Vera on campus gets a little tiresome, I also have to agree that Vera is perfect for travel and organization!
maxine
I was thinking about buying the floral purse from there:) I hope my friend gets me the purse for Christmas:)
Caitlin
I love Vera! There are so many patterns, how can you get bored! I get tired of seeing the Longchamp and Coach bags on campus that seeing Vera bags is a good variation! Thanks so much for doing a background on Barbara Bradley.
brittany
A lot of the prints are very pretty, but I don’t like how they’re quilted. And yeah, after a while you start to get Vera Bradley fatigue! I remember when that stuff first came out, they were popular with old ladies. Then suddenly they became cool for college girls.
Alexandrea
Personally, I think Vera Bradley bags are a little over hyped. Maybe because every girl and her dog has one at my campus :/ The quilted fabrics seem to get pretty dirty, because they’re just cotton. Might be a little nicer if they had a sturdy material on the edges or bottom to minimize wear.
Carri
I’m not a huge fan of doing all Vera all the time, but I do LOVE the bags for traveling and hauling all my school stuff. They have such cute patterns and they can really hold a ton of stuff.
Paula*
I never saw the appeal of Vera Bradley bags. They look like something my grandma would like.
Samantha
While my dislike of VB has lessened considerably from my “I Hate Everything” days of high school, I still cannot quite subscribe to the brand. I do admire the creator though, as I do anyone who can successfully create a brand like this. But you can’t tell that picture would be better with a chic leather bag instead of that VB one. And, I do have to say while I like their wristlets for my ID cards, etc, the one I got for $2 on clearance at CVS is holding up considerably better than the one I got as a present from VB, which is now tattered after less than a year of use…
Sarah
I love Vera Bradley! Too cute :)
Jenny in Jacquard
I don’t own anything Vera Bradley, nor has it ever been really huge in my neck of the woods, but I started noticing the brand from its magazine campaigns. They’re kitschy and cute, and while I might not ever invest in the brand, I think it stands for a sense of adventure. And you can never go wrong with that.
Sarah
I honestly think Vera Bradley products look like diaper bags. And for that purpose they are cute but in other cases not so much. As for wallets and wristlets, they’re not as over wheming so could be worked into an outfit.
Samantha
I don’t really like Vera Bradley. The patterns and colors are way too much for me.
morgan mccord
I’m not a big fan on the Vera Bradley prints, but I couldn’t live without my baekgaard bag! It’s Vera Bradley’s leather collection line of bags, and they are large, and wonderfully colorful!
Cori
I think they’re adorable! Since I’m only in high school, I’m one of the only with a VB bag.
Liz
I really like VB bags, but I feel like they are overpriced for just cotton bags. I only get mine when they are on sale!
Meghan Palmer
I used to be so anti-Vera, they are EVERYWHERE around my campus and my sorority. But I finally found a print that I loved (Poppy Fields), and I ordered the laptop backpack this summer.
Since the print was retired, the backpack was on sale and it ended up being around $90. I can honestly say it was a HUGE investment. I love love love the backpack, its stylish and it fits everything perfectly, and it’s machine washable. For a personal touch, I got it monogrammed with my initials, which looks really great with the quilted pattern.
Don’t hate it until you try it (:
Michelle
I think like many trendy brands, if used properly I think it’s great. Take uggs for example. If girls are wearing them with sweatpants and a Northface or with shorts constantly it is awful to watch and uggs ultimately get a bad name. But if its 15 degrees outside and you tuck your skinny jeans (maybe add some leg warmers) and a nice peacoat uggs aren’t quite so bad.
I feel like its somewhere similar to Vera Bradely. The brand is so great to travel with. A makeup bag, glasses case, even a bag is great. But if someone is taking VB to class, to hang out, and to the mall… its just an overuse of a product.
I love my Nike yoga pants, but I’m NOT wearing them to class.
shaina
okay, so i never actually liked vb–not because of the bags, which i don’t like anyway, but because of what it stood for in my high school. it was so…preppy and aspirational? which is so not me. that being said, i think if this was an outfit for a young mother going to the park with a baby, i would absolutely love it and i in no way mean that as an insult. it looks kind of like a diaper bag, there’s a blanket and a sweater…she would be the most stylish mom at the place! so if i have a baby in the next five years, i’m coming back around to vb for inspiration.
Yranna
It seems like everybody is carrying around something from Vera Bradley, and I don’t see why. The patterns are pretty yes, but for the price I don’t think her stuff is a wise advisement. The fabric is soft and not very tough, it gets stained and snagged and torn rather easily. On a personal note, I’m not fond of the quilted look either.
Yranna
*wise investment
Spellcheck error.
Irish Belle
I love Vera. They inject a little fun and personality into otherwise boring luggage bags. I love their ID holders and carryalls and their lanyards. A little color and fun where there usually isn’t any.
Marlee
I personally like the floral and quilted aesthetic, but I haven’t gotten around to purchasing any of the bags. I usually use a leatheresque one, but I’d love a Vera as a gift or in accessories
Ashley
I was so curious to know who this Vera Bradley was and where she suddenly popped up from. After reading this I do not mind purchasing products. I love that she named design line after her mother! That is amazing and shows to me that she is close with her. Thank you for the brief but informative writing!