Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images

There’s a $125 orange faux ostrich clutch that some New York Knicks fans have decided holds the fate of their beloved basketball teams’ historic Finals run, and the woman carrying it is entirely aware of the pressure.

Jordyn Woods, engaged to Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, has brought her Tux Clutch Mini from her own brand Woods by Jordyn to every playoff game this postseason. The Knicks haven’t lost a single game as long as it’s in the building, the one hiccup being game three at Madison Square Garden when heightened security for Donald Trump’s attendance enforced a strict no-bag policy. Coincidentally, when the bag was back for game four, the Knicks beat the Spurs again.

Now, with New York one victory away from its first championship since 1973, Woods is in San Antonio taking in this surreal moment, her lucky clutch packed and ready to go.

“It feels like an out-of-body experience, to be honest,” Woods told me from her hotel room in Texas. “We’re one win away from winning everything, and all I can think about is just winning the next game.”

Calling from San Antonio on Saturday morning before getting her own pre-game workout in, I spoke to Woods about her lucky bag, the impact its virality has had on her clothing brand, and why she’s “not really fazed” by all the celebrities courtside.

You’ve been candid on social media about how this NBA Finals run is an experience you’ll never forget. What does this moment feel like for you?
I wish I had the perfect words to say because there are so many emotions, but if I could say any emotion I would just say “grateful.” Another word is “humility.” I try to not let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. There are still games to be won and I understand this is sports, so anything can happen. But seeing the city embrace these guys and all the joy it’s brought people, I feel emotional even talking about it. It’s brought so much success to people’s businesses, bars, and the economy of New York City. Knowing some people have been watching the Knicks for their whole entire lives and their team is this close to winning, and more importantly, seeing the dynamic of all the different guys [on the team], you can see that these are really good people and so deserving.

Your lucky bag has become one of the main characters in the NBA finals. At what point did you start feeling like it was lucky? 
I don’t want to take the credit for the amazing talent and skill that these guys have had. I’m superstitious so regardless, if we start winning and I switch it up and we lose, then I just stick with what I know. I had made this sample a while ago for the playoffs. I knew we were going to be in the playoffs just based on the team’s success last year and I wanted to wear something that’s part of my own brand, Woods by Jordyn. I kept wearing it and they didn’t lose. The one time we lost was when I couldn’t bring my bag into Madison Square Garden, so it kind of created this hysteria. I wasn’t the one enforcing the idea that this is the lucky bag, you guys have to believe this. It’s kind of organically the greatest thing that could have happened to my brand.

Knicks fans are taking the importance around your lucky bag seriously. What do you think about the memes and fans’ responses?
I’m obsessed. It’s so funny seeing the memes and everything everyone is making, but I will say it comes with immense pressure. The pressure was created for me and the bag, which in some ways has been great, the guys have been pulling it off. God forbid we were to lose, what does this mean for my bag’s reputation now? But I can say, knock on wood, we haven’t lost yet with the bag in the building.

How did you come up with the bag’s design?
It’s based on an existing bag that I already had. The original is double the size and we decided to make a mini so it could be easier to wear. I love ostrich and that kind of print. I have some similar bags, like my Hermès bag in ostrich. I wanted to create that feeling but at a more affordable price point. Our material is faux ostrich. Obviously, I couldn’t charge $125 if it was real. I actually sell a blue one as well. There’s also white, which my sister [Jodie Woods] wore to a game. It’s part of the bridal collection and it has a mirror on the inside.

Throughout the playoffs, have you worn the same exact bag for every single game, or have you alternated colors? 
I switched up to the blue one time. We still won but everyone was pissed off that I switched it up because it was a close game.

When the Knicks implemented a strict no-bag policy at Madison Square Garden for game three and took extra security measures because Donald Trump was in attendance, did you still try to get the lucky bag into the arena?
Of course I tried, but I also didn’t want to get tackled or have it confiscated, because if the bag got confiscated, we would have been in a way worse situation.

When you couldn’t bring the lucky bag into MSG, you said you turned the bag into a pair of shoes?
I had that sample [for the Stunt Sandal] already made. It was a fun way to keep the vibes going. I wanted them to be a limited time capsule, so they’re available for pre-order. We try to have a sustainable approach with the brand, we don’t want to overproduce and waste materials so we run limited quantities and then we see the demand. They’re already made, it’s just going to take some time to get everything together. I’m currently also transitioning warehouses. We make it all look glamorous on social media, but when you’re running a business behind the scenes there’s a lot that goes into it.

What does Karl think about your lucky bag? Does he believe in the superstition?
He’s been my biggest supporter since day one. He’s always the one who says, “You should make more, you should do more.” He’s always pushing me to be better and do better. He’s loving it. This is great for him. We both get to win.

What do you keep inside of your bag during games?
The bag fits so much even though it’s not that big. I packed it heading here to San Antonio and I have a phone stand in there, a phone, and a bunch of stuff. I typically bring a camera, probably four different lip glosses, lip liner, my wallet, I always keep mints or listerine strips, hand cream, hand sanitizer, really just simple things in case of emergency, maybe some post-game pass for the game or something I need for the game.

Has the bag’s success inspired any other pieces?
I have a lot of collections in the works right now. My bridal era is on the back burner right now for obvious reasons and happily so. I’m not even upset about it for one second because I really want us to get this [championship]. But I am working on a bridal collection and there are other different things that I’ve been working on on the backend that people will see. After we get through the NBA finals I’ll have a few weeks to focus on everything else.

I’ve been seeing World Cup tweets about how someone’s team lost and they said, “We should have bought Jordan’s bag for the soccer game,” and now people are equating it to other sports. It made me think, what are the sports rules around fashion? Maybe we’re making more sports integrated bags for game day. Before you know it, the season’s gonna start all over again.

What has your lucky bag’s viral moment in the spotlight taught you as a business owner of a fashion brand?
Be ready. If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. I have a really small but great team, there’s only a few of us. I started this all on my own, it’s self-funded and I’ve organically been able to reinvest into it and continue to grow. You don’t have to rush the process, but just be ready for the opportunity.

Are there any other superstitions you’ve taken seriously during this year’s post-season? I know you mentioned on TikTok that you also have a lucky necklace you’ve been wearing. 
Yes. After I bought a watch from AP [Audemars Piguet], that’s when we went on our winning streak as well, so I call that watch lucky. I call everything lucky, and maybe it’s meant for us this year, you know? Maybe it’s not luck. It’s skill, but I love all the superstitions and I love a theme.

Besides the bag, how do you decide the rest of the outfit you want to wear to each game?
You’d be surprised, I decide the day before what I want to wear. I have an amazing tailor and if I have a vintage shirt or something, she’ll come over and chop it up, or sometimes people will make me something and I’ll have a jacket or I’ll have a pair of shoes I want to wear. I’ll just piece it together super last minute. I try not to plan too far in advance, just because you never know what’s going to happen. It’s really unpredictable, so I don’t want to make 20 outfits and then have them sitting there. But also what I notice is that as the series keep going on longer and longer, you kind of grow fatigued of figuring out what you want to wear. People think for the Finals you’re gonna bring it, and I’m like, I actually have no clue what I’m wearing because I had to come up with 30 outfits already.

There have been so many celebrities showing up and sitting courtside during the Knicks playoffs and Finals, from Spike Lee and Ben Stiller to Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner. How does it feel to be celebrating alongside them?
I’m not really fazed by celebrity row. I’m from LA, that’s my life. But I really appreciate how hard you see the fandom in New York City no matter who the person is, it’s unreal. I watched Game of Thrones last basketball season during the winter and then I’m sitting next to Kit Harrington and I’m like, oh my gosh, it’s Jon Snow. I don’t really fangirl over people, I’ve been around so many people growing up, but it’s really cool that you can see your favorite person or people, and you’re all cheering for the same thing and it’s bringing you all together.

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