“If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” ~ Steve Jobs Originally named DEFY BAGS, the DEFY MFG.Co. began as one man’s simple dream to build a company that he loved, and leave behind a career that he loathed. Since 2008, founder Chris Tag and our team at DEFY have worked diligently to design great bags & accessories that we hand-craft in the USA and build to last. 

For our inspiration we looked to the past, back to a time when 'American Made' was a stamp of honor, and our home town of Chicago had great pride in it’s manufacturing companies. But we were also inspired by todays generation of industrial startups; the new 'slow manufacturing' companies owned by craftsmen building amazing bikes; distilling small batch whiskey; designing and making bespoke furniture; and curating small boutiques selling to hand-made clothes & accessories to passionate customers. We share a lot in common with these companies: we’re all driven by the desire to make great products and to build our company on the foundation principle of simple authenticity. DEFY designs and manufactures our products in the United States, but we sell them all over the world. Our customers are as passionate about them as we are. Yet we’re permanently restless; we're constantly pushing ourselves to design more, make more, and (of course) sell more. It's a daily struggle, but that's as it should be. For there's never been a better time to defy, and there's never been a better time to be DEFY. And we're never, ever going to take that for granted.