When Jacob Jordan, Chief Brand Officer of Mejuri, met with Gia Coppola and The Directors Bureau to discuss their forthcoming collaborative New York Minute campaign, he noticed Pacific Totes around the office. “Oh, my wife has one of those,” he mentioned, before sharing how she had been frustrated not to purchase a specific colour way before it sold out. Luckily for him — or rather for her — he was speaking to the very team behind the brand itself.
Founded by The Directors Bureau and Roman Coppola, Pacific Tote Company has been providing customers with the highest quality tote bags since 2012, designed in small batches in California and inspired by the colours, history, and culture of their home state. On the other coast, Toronto-born jewellery label Mejuri operates with a similar mission — to create high quality, long-lasting pieces with a fresh spirit.
Naturally, Jordan started ideating ways to incorporate the Totes into the New York Minute campaign in authentic, exciting ways. “We brainstormed ideas for something special that would connect to both the characters and the essence of New York,” he explains. “The team came up with a brilliant concept inspired by the classic joke, ‘What’s black and white and red all over?’ They proposed a unique mixed-up colour palette, which felt perfect for our characters and the themes of the story. For me, the subtle nod to newspapers created a strong link to New York, where newspapers are an intrinsic part of daily life and culture. We even took it a step further and hid a small message inside the tote as a tribute to a meaningful line from the episode: ‘I hope you find what you’re looking for.’”
The Mejuri “Big Sur” Zippered Tote by Pacific Tote Company is red on one side and white on the other, supported by a black base all around. Durable, spacious, and functional, it is made from heavy canvas with a big brass zippered top and an inside pocket for quick access to valuables — making it perfect for long days and weekend getaways alike.
Natalie Vall-Freed, Creative Director of the Pacific Tote Company, adds: “Typically, we make ‘mixed up’ canvas totes with a California lean. This time we made a tote that was less “mixed up” and instead represented the duality and crossroads that the girls are experiencing in the series in a stark, graphic way. All of the Mejuri stories are about a fork in the road, so the tote pattern plays with the idea of yes or no, red or white, right or left. The colour palette is more in the spirit of the big city as well. We loved using the tote design as a little nod to the storytelling.”
