J.Crew's Holiday Shopping Bag {cute!}

Every once in awhile, J.Crew's 770 blog offers really interesting insight into their inner workings. Their "Thinking Outside the Bag" post is one of them:

Thinking Outside the Bag

Rachel, our Web designer and ultimate alpine illustrator,
shares the design process behind our festive
holiday shopping bags

On her inspiration:
For these bags I wanted to create a cozy wintery feel through color and imagery, so I looked at a lot of photos of alpine cottages and snowy scenery. I kept the lines and textures of the pencil and charcoal evident in the final image—the materials themselves were also a source of inspiration.

On the design process:
Everything starts with rough improvisational drawings of all the various parts. Then I scan everything and begin to piece it all together on the computer. Eventually, after a back-and-forth of scanning and drawing, order emerges in the image (and my face generally gets covered with charcoal smudges). I like that I still get the hand-drawn feel with the flexibility of working on the computer.

On her style’s evolution:
I developed the intuitive, spontaneous style I used for the holiday bags after working as an illustrator for several years and constantly experimenting. Working at the artist’s bookstore Printed Matter gave me an art history education that also helped form my aesthetic.

On the pleasures of packaging:
Most of my illustrations have appeared in editorial or Web format, so it’s really exciting to see them as objects rather than on a screen or a printed page. It’s fun seeing shoppers’ carry my artwork around the city throughout the holidays!

The new holiday bags from J.Crew are absolutely adorable! I smile every time I see the festive designs. Of course I am saving these bags- which are great to deliver gifts in!

Lastly, how neat would it be if J.Crew designed a bag around other holidays (like Valentine's Day) too!?!

What are your thoughts on J.Crew's new holiday bag? Do you like the design? Do you keep your holiday bags?