coup de main - noun
\ˌkü-də-ˈmaⁿ
Definition of coup de main : an attack that achieves complete surprise.

Interview: Poppy Lissiman.

| by Rose Riddell

Australian based-designer Poppy Lissiman makes the most incredible bags you’ll ever see - so much so, that we had to use them for our latest cover-shoot with Alessia Cara.

Poppy’s bags are not only beautiful, but they’re also 100% vegan, a reflection of Poppy’s strong beliefs. We recently spoke to her about her upcoming jewellry collection, as well as what inspires her designs…

CDM: I just read that you’ve announced a jewellery collaboration with Atlas Pearls, in addition to your bags and sunglasses. Will the jewellery be in a similar style to your bags, or something entirely different?
POPPY: The jewellery has kept a few key elements and motifs which I frequently use in my bags, for example the Evil Eye (which we have used a South Sea Pearl as the base) and also the Sun. I am obsessed with Pagan and religious iconography, so I really wanted to use them in my collaboration with Atlas.

CDM: I like that your Mother Earth bag is good for the mother herself - why did you decide that you wanted to create with 100% vegan leather products?
POPPY: I am quite an animal lover, so producing accessories in real leather never sat well with me. I didn’t like the idea of using animal skins for my own fashion brand when fashion is so transient. The technology these days to create faux fur or faux leather is so good I don’t see the need to use the real thing to be honest. I also thought there was a gap in the market for high-end accessories which used exclusively cruelty free materials.



CDM: Your entire range is ridiculously beautiful! What inspires your designs?
POPPY: As mentioned before, mainly pagan and religious motifs, but I am also inspired a lot by art and the materials I use. A lot of ideas materialise once I see the fabrics I like best.

CDM: How would you describe your style in three words?
POPPY: Left of centre.

CDM: If you could only do one thing for the rest of your life, would what be that one thing?
POPPY: Probably this, yes... I can’t imagine doing anything else.

CDM: What do you have left to achieve on your bucket-list?
POPPY: Tonnes of things! I don’t feel like I have even come close to scratching the surface! The main objectives for me at the moment is to continue to travel with my business and hopefully move it overseas for a while.

Shop Poppy’s bags HERE.