Today we’d like to introduce you to Bama Mattson.
Bama, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My best friend, Amanda Columbus, has the wanderlust something fierce on one of her exotic jaunts around the globe she spotted a towel that folded up with a strap. She said: “What do you think about making our own version?” The idea sparked a vision within me of a big bag that doubles as a blanket. I love those beautiful colorful Mexican blankets and the vibe that they represent seemed the perfect fit: laidback, functional, stylish, & accessible. Amanda & I are best friends, & now business partners, but we also represent the extreme demographics of the blanket bag user: I’m a working mom that lives between the beach & the skate park & Amanda has a profession that requires spontaneous travel & needs an easy bag that doubles as a blanket. For the first prototype, I cut up one blanket & sewed it to another blanket & then we high fived & we were in business. My son, Waylon, is our biggest fan & best helper, so he & Amanda & I share the same birthday: July 6th (the respective years are none of your business) so we came up with the name Sixth & Co. We’re now operating out of my son’s bedroom… you know our independent studio space… I’ve sewn hundreds of bags & I love every second of it. We travel to art shows & we sell online. We’re hustling & the word of mouth response has been incredible. Everyone wants a bag & knows someone who needs a bag. The patterns & colors are rad & don’t show wear & tear easily. The blanket bags have a reversible zipper & come with a detachable, water-resistant, bag that’s the perfect size for your keys, phone, etc you can go surfing in San Onofre or crowd surfing at Coachella with the same bag, or keep it mellow with a picnic at the park that’s why we always say “Wake up and play outside”.
Has it been a smooth road?
As with any small business, we’ve encountered challenges. How do you even start a new business? We felt we had a super awesome idea so we just held our breath & dove right in. We’ve done extremely well for relying on word of mouth and social media advertising, so thanks, friends. I’m incredibly proud of the results of our hard work & determination. These days, our challenges are keeping up with demand & also increasing our exposure. We have this really cool & functional item that we feel like everyone needs it & we want to get it to them. My only advice is don’t let fear of the unknown stop you from chasing that dream. Just jump in. It’s a crazy life to chase this dream but I’m loving & digging every single step.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Sixth & Co. – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are known for repurposing blankets into our super rad blanket bags. Our bag unrolls into a blanket or our blanket rolls up into a bag. There’s a reversible zipper so you can throw your stuff back in when its open as a blanket, like, did someone say pillow? it also comes with a small detachable water-resistant bag that’s big enough for your keys, cell phone, etc. We also make so many amazing other products such as fanny packs that can be used as crossed body bags, purses, big purses, clutches, coin purses, Dopp kits, makeup bags, yoga straps, sherpa-lined blankets, sherpa-lined bandanas, and pillows. I also love refreshing vintage military jackets with personalized sayings lined with our awesome blanket fabric, & new crisp denim jackets lined with our blankets.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
I don’t have much in the advice department. All I can say is just dive on in. Don’t wait for tomorrow. We defiantly had the never-ending support from our husbands, family, & friends. We leaned on them & that was an incredible help. So, just get started & lean on your peeps.
Pricing:
- Blanket Bags $95-$110
- Fannys, purses, make up bags $20- $85
- Denim Jackets, Vintage Jackets $160-220
Contact Info:
- Website: http://sixthandco.com/
- Phone: 714-594-9643
- Email: info@sixthandco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixthco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sixthandco
Image Credit:
Bama Mattson, Zander Schaus, Sam Jones, Neighborhood Collective
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