How Two Designers Brought September's IPSY Bags to Life

One Theme. Two Creative Perspectives.

While both IPSY bags were inspired by September's theme, they each took that idea somewhere completely different.

For Rodriguez, Rebel in Color meant embracing individuality and making something that felt joyful, artistic, and a little unexpected.

"It's about bold colors, self-expression, and individuality," says Rodriguez. " My design took  inspiration from the world around me and combined it with elements I admire to create a fun look."

Her starting point? A mood board filled with Andy Warhol prints, Vivienne Westwood's signature layering, and the mesh bags she'd spotted everywhere—from a recent trip to Laos to runway shows. The result is a floral print that feels less like traditional florals and more like painted artwork, layered beneath an airy mesh exterior that instantly feels fashion-forward.

Meanwhile, Wong took the same spirit of self-expression and translated it into something equally unexpected for IPSY Extra.

"The sheer purple mesh body was inspired by the idea of letting your 'inner baddie' shine," says Wong. "Instead of hiding your beauty routine, this see-through material lets you show off your favorite vibrant beauty products inside."

Every Detail Was Designed to Stand Out

September's Glam Bag might be Rodriguez's first IPSY bag, but it doesn't play it safe. One of her favorite details? The silver flower zipper charm. "I wanted the hardware to feel like a little keepsake," she says. "It makes the bag feel extra special."

Even better, it isn't just decorative. Rodriguez designed it so Ipsters can reuse it as a necklace charm, keychain, or purse accessory long after they've unzipped their beauty picks.

For Wong, the details live somewhere even more unexpected. Rather than decorating the bag itself, she transformed the drawstrings into the statement piece by printing them with the very same floral artwork from Rodriguez's Glam Bag.

"We wanted to tie the collection together," explains Wong. "Printing the vibrant floral pattern onto the drawstring ribbon adds playful energy and turns a basic cord into something special."  It's one of those blink-and-you-miss-it moments that makes the entire collection feel thoughtfully connected.

Pushing IPSY Into New Territory

If there's one thing these two bags have in common, it's that neither relies on materials IPSY usually goes  for. Rodriguez loved the idea of introducing mesh to the Glam Bag because it immediately gave the floral artwork more dimension.

"Mesh has been having a big moment in fashion," she says. "It added texture and gave the floral artwork a modern edge."

Of course, making something look effortless is never actually effortless. Rodriguez says one of the biggest challenges was balancing ambitious design ideas with real-world production—everything from selecting the right mesh to scaling back an oversized flower charm while preserving the original vision.

Wong faced a different challenge: creating a sheer mesh drawstring that's lightweight enough to feel modern but durable enough for everyday beauty essentials. "The biggest challenge was finding the right thickness," says Wong. "It had to be ultralightweight  and see-through, but still strong enough to hold your beauty products."

The result is a collection that feels unlike anything IPSY has done before—proof that sometimes the boldest move isn't adding more. It's simply seeing familiar materials in a completely new way.