THE WORK BAG YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR

Of course women are fantastic at multi-tasking, but having to carry multiple bags everywhere very quickly gets frustrating. Anthea Rowan, of Code Republic, has teamed up with Harvey Norman to bring a stylish solution to the problem.

How did you come up with the idea for these innovative laptop bags?

After spending over six years in the technology industry, most recently at Lenovo, I always found I was carrying around both my handbag and a laptop bag. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t find a bag that had all the features I wanted in a work bag, whilst remaining stylish and feminine.

I noticed so many women were either carrying around two bags like me or shoving their laptops into their handbag, because they were not willing to sacrifice on style. We all know that extra weight doesn’t bode well for the life of a handbag. All the laptop bags available in stores were certainly designed for protection and portability, but were lacking the panache I was looking for in a handbag.

Is this your first time in business?

I have dabbled in a few small side projects over the years, however I have always had a day job. This is my first foray into a “real” business, in that I have left the security of a full time job to pursue this 100%.

How did you come up with the name for Code Republic?

The concept of my products came first, so when it came to deciding on a brand name, I wanted it to be something that resonated with technology but also sounded like a fashion label. At the time I was brainstorming for the name there was a lot in the media about the push for women in the IT industry and in particular, coding.

What are the features of the bag?

Our bags are absolutely feature-packed with everything a busy and successful woman would desire in a bag! They are beautifully designed, made from genuine cowhide leather, with luxurious linings, and jewellery-inspired feminine rose gold features. The roomy interior includes pockets to protect a laptop, tablet, phone, cables, charger, sunglasses, stylus and pen, a larger loop specifically to fit a lip-gloss, a long internal zip pocket to store valuables, a key chain so no more digging through to find your keys. We have even designed our bags with an insulated pocket to keep a water bottle cool in summer or store a compact umbrella.