Career (In) Design: A Conversation with Phil Schade of 1733

Utility, intention, and what it takes to build a brand that lasts.

Jul 09, 2025

Design touches everything. It’s essential to the human experience, and it takes endless forms. What fascinates me most are the people who’ve managed to build a career out of making things, whether physical, digital, or somewhere in between.

This series is about their stories, their processes, and the choices behind the work.

For now, these interviews are free to all subscribers. As I ramp it up, full access—including the archive, vintage finds, and more—will be available to paid subscribers for $6/month or $65/year, with a 7-day free trial if you want to test the waters.

1733 is a brand you should know. They embody everything I love about wearable design: utility, durability, and style. If you ask anyone who’s bought from their tight assortment of bags, you’ll hear the same sentiment. The quality speaks for itself. For a brand to be around for over 10 years, they have to be doing something right.

I visited Phil’s West Garfield Park studio on a scorching day in June to talk about what he’s built. Phil is material- and detail-obsessed, and it shows in what he makes. We talked about using skills from your day job to run your business, build-design, brand collaborations as marketing, and what it takes to run a small but successful design studio today.

Is that tactile nature of things what drew you to bag design?
I wanted to work with my hands. In engineering school, I loved labs and time in the machine shop. After graduation, I worked in IT, but I craved something more hands-on. I bought a sewing machine thinking I’d make shoes but ended up with bags. Making shoes needs way more equipment laughs. With bags, you can make something great on a domestic machine in your dining room. There’s nothing like having an idea in the morning and holding it by the end of the day.

Did you start by making what you love or what you thought would sell?
I think about this concept called "build design," like a contractor who handles both the design and construction. That’s how I learned. I sewed before I designed. First, how does this panel connect to that zipper? Then, how do I make it look interesting? On a practical level, I look at sales and feedback. People love laptop sleeves, so we keep including them.

What was the inflection point where you thought, "Okay, I might have something here"?
I got furloughed for a month at my job. Around then, I took on a project with a hotel making 32 bags for their opening. It didn’t pay much, but I had the time to make them. It was the first time I had to really think about production, timelines, and consistency. Once I delivered those bags and saw how they were received I realized this might be more than just a side project.

Did you ever imagine 1733 would become a sustainable business?
Maybe subconsciously. You don’t give something a name and a website without hoping for more. It started as an art gallery. I was making pillows and upholstering chairs. I didn’t think about being a boss. But when I hired help, I could focus on design and sourcing. Then I found myself building production spreadsheets and thought, "This has gone too far." I left spreadsheets for a reason, but now I enjoy that part. There’s a design to manufacturing. You arrange materials and people efficiently, train them well, and make things run smoothly. It’s rewarding to help the team solve problems.

When did you know you needed to hire help?
Probably just too many projects at once. I started with a few people part-time. I don’t remember the exact project, but it was the first time I had to think about more than just sewing talent. It was also about interpersonal compatibility, we’re going to be working together all day. I hired my first full-time employee, David, five years ago. He’s great. I’ve gotten pretty good at figuring out who’s going to be a good fit with us. It’s been a solid process.

How important are your early customers?
Huge. I have a long list of people who’ve kept coming back. That kind of loyalty sustains the business. I still do all the customer service, so I read every email. It’s not scientific, but it’s incredibly useful. We resized our daily tote to fit a 16-inch laptop based on requests. When people ask for 10 percent smaller or 10 percent bigger, I take it as a sign we’re close. Still, I want to lead where the brand is going.

How do you think about growth?
I like our size. I’m not against growth, but I’m careful. We’ve never taken outside investment. We make bags, sell them, and buy more material. It’s a linear, sustainable cycle. Bags have a longer lifecycle than clothing, which helps. We don’t operate on seasonal timelines. Our calendar is just three months out, so we stay flexible.

How do you approach wholesale?
We don’t do much. Being small means tight margins. Selling at 40 percent of retail doesn’t always make sense. I only work with people I already know, who understand our schedule and have customers familiar with us. Collaborations end up being our version of wholesale.

What is your collaboration process like?
People have to bring an interesting idea and a good point of view. A unique material or silhouette. Some people will say “Well lets just make whatever you think is cool” but I make whatever I thinks cool for myself laughs. I also want that editorial perspective. Everything is sold through their channels, and it has to be different from what I normally do.

I love the ongoing collaboration with William Ellery. How did that start?
We’ve done three projects. He has a strong sense of storytelling and a very consistent photography style. That editorial aspect is key. Trevor brings great materials and he’s detail-obsessed, just like me. It becomes a William Ellery product through things like brass details. We’re already discussing our next project.

How do you balance newness with refining what already works?
Ideas come from everywhere. On my bike, in the shower. A lot of them are just ways to make things stronger, easier to produce, or better looking. Broader inspiration comes from traveling. I study people’s bags at airports, how they interact with them. I analyze our baby carrier, and look at what is wearing on it. And materials are a big one. Touching something new helps me figure out what it wants to be.

Phil’s new collection drops this week 7/11. Here’s a preview look at what’s coming

**Daily Brief - Ballistic - 2 Colors (Navy)**

Do you focus more on iterating or launching new products?
Both. Monthly drops mean we need newness. Bags are hard to vary, but we try. And when something fails, we ask how to make it better.

Advice for young designers trying to build something similar?
Do as much as you can yourself. Even if you don’t sew, understanding it helps you communicate. Your relationship with your factory or vendor is everything. The success stories usually have great factory setups. Raw material, sewing, and finishing all in one place. That’s where a lot of people struggle. You have to build those relationships.