Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | spring 2006

SPRING 2006
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Putting the fun in functional

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PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNCTIONAL
KRISTIN HUNZIKER'S NEW LINE OF DIAPER BAGS PROMISES TO BE SASSY, FASHIONABLE, ORGANIZED, AND SMART

Who says new moms have to be loaded down with frumpy-looking diaper bags?

ISU graduate Kristin Hunziker (’96), a new mom herself, has helped launch a line of bags you’d be tempted to
carry even if you don’t have a baby.

Hunziker’s company, Ju-Ju-Be, offers new mothers – and fathers – fashionable, functional bags in a
variety of sizes, prints, shapes, and styles. And the new bags, on the market since October 2005, are all
the buzz.

“Okay, so I got [my new bag] and I have to say I love it!” gushes one mom on the Ju-Ju-Be Web site’s online forum. “I just need to say this bag is amazing,” proclaims another.

Hunziker credits the popularity of the new line of bags to two things: They look good, and they really perform.

“We found a niche between the very beautiful, high-priced diaper bags and the functional-but-plain bags,” Hunziker says. “We said, ‘Let’s hit right in between that price point with some beautiful bags that are functional, too.”

So Hunziker and a partner took their 25 years of combined experience in product development and created four “mommy” bags and two “daddy” bags, all with anti-microbial coating on the inside and Teflon fabric protection on the outside, oodles of pockets and zippers, squishy diaper-changing pads, light-colored linings, and insulated bottle pockets.

The bags fit the bill for today’s fashion-conscious, organized parents. The mommy bags come in ultra-feminine (“perky perennials” and “sassy stripes”) as well as more professional-looking finishes (black with silver or pink accents), and the “JJB” line for men includes duffel and messenger bags in black or khaki.
“These bags are rock solid,” Hunziker says. “People are telling us, ‘I’ve been in search of a perfect diaper bag, and this one is almost perfect!’”

Hunziker, who graduated with a degree in apparel merchandise, design and production, is brand manager for Ju-Ju-Be in Orange County, Calif. She and her husband, Nate (’96 art & design) have a son, Rylan, born in May 2005.

Ju-Ju-Be bags are available at approximately 50 stores nationwide, including boutiques in California, New York, Texas, and Iowa. For a complete list of retailers, go to www.ju-ju-be.com.

About the Writer | Carole Gieseke is the editor of VISIONS magazine.