How could we create a raincoat for Hermès Birkin and Kelly bags that actually works -one that helps protect from passing drizzle?

And most importantly, it had to feel like something I would actually use.

The first study began with my own bag.

I tested the idea directly around its shape, cutting and adjusting simple test pieces by hand to understand the basic coverage, opening and proportion.

It was an early, imperfect beginning, but it made one thing clear: the idea had potential.

Turning the idea into a real product was much harder than making the first study.

I began reaching out to manufacturers in the UK and quickly realised this was not a standard accessory. It needed pattern development, waterproof construction, specialist equipment, and a team willing to work through something that did not already exist in their usual production process.

After many conversations, I found a London-based manufacturer who understood the vision.

I met them at their workshop, showed them the early prototype, and explained what I wanted The Orliná® Raincoat to become: a protective layer that felt clean, quiet and intentional, not like a disposable cover.

They understood it immediately.

They also had access to ultrasonic welding, which became essential to the development. From the beginning, we knew the waterproofing had to actually work. The seam could not just look neat. It had to support the function of the raincoat.

This became the most difficult part of the entire process.

Ultrasonic welding was important to the product, but using it in this way, on soft TPU, for a luxury handbag raincoat, around curved lines and delicate proportions required a completely different level of testing.

The workshop already had ultrasonic capability, but this application was new. New machine parts had to be ordered. New wheels had to be tested. Settings had to be adjusted. The team had to work through training, waiting, testing, troubleshooting and learning how the TPU reacted under different conditions.

We tested small sections first. Then curved sections. Then different wheel finishes and machine settings. The first welding tests worked on straight lines, but the real raincoat had to follow the curved silhouette of a Birkin or Kelly. That curve made everything harder. That was the real challenge.

The goal was always the same: a seam that felt clean, quiet and effortless, even though the process behind was complicated.

The first complete sample was the moment the idea became real.

It was exciting to finally see The Orliná® Raincoat as a full object, but it was also clear that the fit needed refinement. I did not want the raincoat to feel like an oversized jacket on the bag. It had to protect, but it could not overwhelm. The bag still needed to be the focus.

This stage became about editing. Reducing unnecessary creases. Flattening the form. Refining the curve. Adjusting the fit. Removing anything that made the raincoat feel louder than the bag itself.

Every detail had to be considered, but not every detail had to be seen.

The closure became another important challenge. It took a long time to resolve because everything affected everything else: magnet strength, placement, visibility, waterproofing and ease of use. It had to feel secure, but still effortless; functional, but still quiet within the overall design.

The version with handle coverage made the process even more complex. Covering the handles changed how the raincoat moved, where creases appeared, and how the whole piece behaved when carried.

This stage was about making the technical details feel invisible. It had to close well, protect well, and still look simple.

As the closure developed, we tested different waterproof materials that could support the function and improve the experience of using the raincoat.

The trim had to do more than look finished. It needed to help integrate the closure, soften the touch point, support the waterproof construction, and make opening and closing the raincoat feel more natural.

After testing several options, we developed the waterproof vegan leather trim. We chose this material because it helped integrate the magnets more neatly, added a softer touch where the raincoat is opened and closed, and made the product feel more resolved as a whole.

By this stage, the raincoat was close. But we were obsessing over the millimetres.

This is probably where the perfectionist in me fully came out. A corner radius, a fold line, a curve ending, a 1mm shift to the left or a 0.5mm adjustment upwards could change how the raincoat sat on the bag. It sounds tiny, but on a product this simple, the small things become very visible.

London gave us plenty of rain to test with, and we used it. The raincoat was carried, adjusted, tested again and refined through real weather. By the end, the simplicity was not accidental. It came from removing, flattening and editing until only what needed to be there remained.

After more than a year of material research, pattern development, ultrasonic welding trials, closure testing, real-life rain testing and small-batch refinement, The Orliná® Raincoat is ready for pre-launch.

A patented raincoat, designed and made in London.

Created for changing forecasts, passing drizzle, city days, travel days, and the bags we still want to carry.