Hi, I’m Rita - the maker behind Matilda Junkbottom.

When I was a kid, my sister and I once made a doll out of plastic bags and whatever random bits of junk we could find in the shed. It wasn’t neat or sensible — but it was creative, imaginative, and pure joy, and a heck of a lot of fun.

We named her Matilda Junkbottom.

That feeling - of making something from nothing, or from unexpected stuff, just for the fun of it, has never really left me.

Matilda Junkbottom grew from a desire to bring that sense of childhood creativity back into everyday life — the spark of joy we often lose as we grow older and more serious (hello, mortgages and boring beige and brown purses).

I design and make small-batch purse systems that are thoughtfully structured, practical, and a little bit playful. They’re modular by design, so you can change the look without changing how they work — because good design should adapt to real life.

I choose fabrics that celebrate colour, personality, and individuality. Some are bold, some are quirky, some are a little unexpected — and many are made in very limited numbers, often one-of-a-kind.

Growing up doesn’t mean growing dull.

To me, Matilda Junkbottom is more than a brand.

It’s the spirit of creativity and childlike glee that still lives inside all of us — the part that wants to jump in puddles, laugh until your belly hurts, and be unapologetically you.