FASHION-TECH MEETS CANNABIS - THE NEW FACE OF LUXURY

Accessories Appeal to Sophisticated Cannabis Consumer By Combining Fashion, Form and Function

The needs of the sophisticated cannabis consumers are not being met by baggies, tea tins and stink sacs, and women’s needs have been totally ignored.  Though 32 million American adults (13%) have tried cannabis since 2015, and 13.3 million of them are female according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, no fashion brand has addressed the problem of safe, discreet and fashionable transportation of cannabis for today’s mobile consumer

The job of fashion is to solve problems for specific audiences with form, function and style.  Consider Coco Chanel, who was first to sew pockets in women’s clothing to carry cigarettes.  And Levi’s, who created jeans for gold miners that combined form and function so effectively they became a fashion staple still in use today.

To fill the void, Jeanine Moss, CEO of AnnaBis, has created the world’s first line of fashion-tech accessories to meet the needs of the new mobile Cannabis consumer.  Today’s consumer seeks peace-of-mind while working, commuting, socializing and refilling their medical recommendation.

Wearable technology is about more than gadgets

Launched in November 2015 in the $12 Billion U.S. Women’s Accessories category with a line of handbags and small leather goods, AnnaBis purse accessories and handbags feature Aroma-Bloc Technology™ to discreetly and fashionably contain the tell-tale smell, and provide superior organization and convenience.  Women can now feel stylish, free and secure when carrying their cannabis – a “first” for the emerging cannabis culture. 

Aroma-Bloc Technology consists of an interlining made of a highly durable light-weight film and includes air-tight zippers to prevent the scent of cannabis from preceding bearers into a room. Research shows that regardless of whether a state has adult or medicinal marijuana laws, women want to control who knows about their marijuana use.

While the company has plans to address Cannabis lifestyle needs in many categories, Moss decided to focus on women first as they are underserved, savvy and prolific consumers.  The average woman owns 13 handbags from 7 different designers with 40% of those coming from “lesser-known and emerging brands,” according to apparel industry research firm PND. In addition, 85% of all consumer purchases from autos to health care are made by women. 

Achieving the balance of fashion and function

Moss set out to solve the problem of carrying and storing cannabis using technology because of her own experience as a Cannabis and fashion consumer and her work for tech titans like HP and Accenture.  She has a background in new product development gained in New York City where she created new products for brands like Kraft Foods, Airwick Industries and 7-Up.  She applied new product research techniques to confirm the market opportunity for AnnaBis and create products that directly respond to women’s needs. 

To balance the fashion and function of AnnaBis accessories, Moss assembled a team of fashion experts schooled in product development at major retailers like Macy’s and Barneys and accessory designers from companies like Coach, Tory Burch, Kate Spade and Isaac Mizrahi.  Her manufacturing partners create hundreds of thousands of bags per year for major retailers.

This is the not the first time Moss created a business focusing on meeting women’s emerging needs.  In the 1980’s she created the first newsletter for female business travelers, and has consulted with major airlines and hotel chains on appealing to women consumers. 

Advances in Materials Science Spur Future Development 

“I’m thrilled by the advances in materials science occurring today,” says Moss.  “There are new functional and aesthetic possibilities that we will adapt for things like charging vapes, and opportunities in health and wellness where I can envision reminding people when to take their medicine.  The medicinal value of cannabis is, above else, its greatest attribute.”

In the future, AnnaBis plans to use data and technology to increase personalization, and more technology infused fabrics.   “People who are part of the AnnaBis community will one day be able to find their handbag when they leave it behind, and use it to recognize others in the AnnaBis community,” she adds. “Accessories are like a good friend.  They should make our lives easier, more beautiful and more fun, and that’s the direction for AnnaBis.”

ABOUT ANNABIS

AnnaBis is the first fashion-tech accessories brand for the sophisticated cannabis consumer.  Addressing the need for discreet and secure transportation and storage of cannabis, AnnaBis handbags and accessories feature Aroma-Bloc Technology™ to contain the tell-tale smell.  Combining fashion, form and function, AnnaBis accessories help women feel fashionable, free and secure by providing specialized organization and convenience features.  AnnaBis is first to focus on the underserved female market, first with wearable technology, and first to publish a travel publication for canna-curious women:  The AnnaBis Green Guides - for Women Taking the High Road available via a free download at www.annabisstyle.com. AnnaBis launched in November 2015 at the MJ Business Conference in Las Vegas, and has since been featured in hundreds of articles, attracted more than 100,000 visitors to its website, and has earned five-star reviews from customers.