We just had breakfast with Lydia Hearst at the Puma store on Union Square West, where the 23-year-old socialite-model was introducing a bag she has recently designed for the athletic gear company. The heavily-zippered tote, which is offered in both pewter and black-and-blue, also features a large metal carabineer. This addition, according to the press release, reflects “Lydia Hearst’s luxurious but playful style.”
Wearing a tiny gray Hervé Léger dress—luxurious but playful, to be sure—under a black leather jacket, Ms. Hearst came in sporting a new bright blonde do. (She apparently had to dye her beeline locks for a commercial she’s shooting this weekend in London, but for what or whom, she couldn’t say.) “I’ve actually been working on this project for about six months now. I was in London and I just had tons and tons of materials. I wanted something that felt very similar to leather, but at the same time was green and affordable for everybody,” she said of the $125 carryall, which, indeed, looks something like patent leather, but feels like plastic. (This marks the second bag Ms. Hearst has designed for Puma; the first, a similarly shaped number, is called French 77 Racket Bag.)
“They are made with natural fibers and they’re healthy for the environment and anybody—whether you’re a meat-eater to a fur-wearer to a vegan—you can support this bag!” she beamed. Asked what she puts in her own purse, Ms. Hearst paused to think for a few moments. “I would probably have some lip gloss, some Vaseline for my lips in case I get chapped lips, a cell phone, a camera, wallet and maybe a hairbrush.”
And though the bag’s “racket pocket,” which looks strikingly similar to a loaf of challah, could, she supposes, hold a squash or badminton racket, “I was thinking more that this pocket could be for cosmetics.” But the young, budding designer—she’s currently working on creating an entire line of athletic wear—is no slouch when it comes to getting her sweat on.
“I’m completely active. I actually work with David Kirsch; I have the luxury of having a personal trainer,” Ms. Hearst said, referring to the well-known New York fitness guru. She went on, “Generally I prefer to stay indoors and workout at the gym, but I love to be active and go hiking, do anything and everything.”