meet Enya, the person behind our first backpack
“Enya has a vivid imagination. Sometimes, it’s like she sees it all. And then she becomes quiet. Lets her backpack slip off her shoulders. Stands still… and sees even more.” That’s how Lies Mertens describes Enya Pannecoucke. After creating her first laptop sleeve, she designed a backpack for her friend Enya.
They met during a spontaneous evening and immediately noticed their common interests, especially their love for discovering new things and places. Enya proves she’s fond of travelling: she’s constantly moving around.
She has lived in Ghent, Antwerp and Hamburg. On top of that, she travelled around for a year before she ended up in Amsterdam. Enya almost literally lives out of her bag, which is always filled with stuff she might need at some point. The leather bag Lies dedicated to her really suits her down to the ground.
“I’ve really seen Lies develop herself when she followed a leather processing course. Her creations became more and more refined and she started to see the potential of her own designs. I’ve seen her brand grow from up close: what started out as a hobby soon became something Lies wanted to make more of.”
Enya loves the minimalistic look of her bag. She’s able to combine it with each and every outfit. “Sometimes, I like to put strange clothes on and other days, I rather dress more modestly. Whatever the case, my backpack matches my clothing perfectly. I also love styles that look a bit though, which makes this bag the perfect companion.”
On a symbolic level, the backpack also represents Enya’s lifestyle. “It portrays adventure. After my studies, I bought a one-way ticket to Asia. Travelling is my way to experience new perspectives.” During her trip, she took part in a yoga course in Thailand and worked at a surf camp in Sri Lanka. “I used to focus on art and design, but I wanted to experience something totally different. My plan was to have no plan en just come upon new places. That’s why I love surfing so much: you’re in the water, waiting for a wave, not knowing when it’ll come. You have to stand still and live on the rhythm of nature.”
She’s only twenty-five, but she has the travel experience of someone who’s much older. She saw a big part of the world and got to know lots of new people. Her experiences sometimes have a downside, however: that many passions result in a certain kind of restlessness. “It’s hard for me to decide what I’m going to do. At the moment I’m working for a fashion designer and an architectural firm. I also teach yoga and Pilates classes. It’s very busy, but I’m unable to give up one of my infatuations.”
Enya has been in Amsterdam for over a year, which feels like an eternity for someone who loves to travel and discover. No one knows when her backpack will lead her to her next destination. Whatever that new adventure holds, everyone believes she will rush into it with her full devotion.
