Retro Travel Bags

I can't get enough of these retro travel bags from brands like samsonite and american tourister. What are the equivalents of these bags now that we will look back on with nostalgia?

From the piping to the chevron on the zip closure the details are really nice, it also helps that this bag is in great condition. This one was found on Etsy, one of my favourite places to find these kinds of bags.

Check out this tumblr blog featuring nostalgia and inspiration from this era.

http://goodordering.tumblr.com/

Tetris Bag

I love the assymetry of this little piece and trust the Japanese to design it with such refined style. I even really like how its slightly slouchy in construction. Its not cheap though, at US$165, you can get your hands on it at Creatures of Comfort.

NOT A GOOD TRAVEL BAG

This is not really a great travel bag for when travelling across international borders. It reads "this bag contains a gun, a bomb, a very large knife and loads of drugs". Unless of course you are planning a very sophisticated version of reverse psychology.

LL BEAN

Apparently this is a World war 2 L.L. Bean officer's case. Definitely looks like it has been through the wars. It says on the inside tag that it is made in Maine. Its nice to see some authentic old stuff.
 I particularly love the metal zip. its in good shape huh!

Alexandra Cassaniti

This bag is by Alexandra Cassanti available to buy from Creatures of Comfort.  It has a hand drawn paisley print which looks like it has been painted once the bag had already been made.  The rustic veg tanned leather combined with the drips and splatters make this bag pretty special and unique. This is art meets bag in a big way.

OVERSIZED RUCKSACK

Nice oversized military style backpack with simple leather strap fastening. I like the boxiness of this and the super simple construction.

MORE OLD SCHOOL BACKPACKS

Here are some oldy worldy inspired rucksacks or backpacks whatever you would prefer to call them. I love this super boxy number just below. It reminds me of the old fashioned Globetrotter luggage made from compressed cardboard like a lot of us used to use as school bags all those years ago.


There has been a resurgence to backpacks particularly in the fashion world of late. Lets face it they are very ergonomic and comfortable.



I really like the combination of materials used in these satchel style bags. The long leather straps combined with canvas or oiled cottons... hmmmm. yum.


This photo was taken at the Fuji rock festival in Japan. They have lots of cool bags over there! Every time i go to japan i cannot resist buying bags.

MULTI ZIPS

I'm liking the multi-zip thing. Layer the zips neatly. Stack them up.

JAPANESE WOODEN BAGS

As per usual, i left these images on my desktop for too long and now i have no idea where they came from... aside from that they were taken by a colleague of mine in Japan... so i'm calling them Japanese wooden bags.


They are pretty nutty and slightly architect (my derogatory term for 'over-designed')


... and slightly unuseable. I do think they they are great but i feel sometimes some designers design things for museums and art galleries more so than for real people.

I'm in a slightly off mood today so everything seems to look a bit try-hard.

Oh, just found the info on this brand : http://www.monacca.com/

PEASANTS AND TRAVELLERS

This is a brand i recently discovered who are doing some nice mens bags... i reckon Jack Spade meets... ehhh Prada sport... meets nike. hmmm maybe not. But i really like this version of the old fashioned doctor's bag executed in what looks like high performance nylon.







I definitely love the dr's bag the best, check out the rest of their range on:
http://www.peasantsandtravelers.com

IPHONE CASE

Leather wrapped around soft felt, i like the simplicity of this iphone case. I am sorry i don't remember where i found it.



The asymmetry and raw edged leather is really understated.


What a nice little home to keep your iphone in.

VINTAGE HIDDEN PURSE BAG

This is another post from ETSY. Its from a seller called vintagetotes. Looking at this little black bag from the outside you would never notice anything suspicious about it - that is until you open it.


And you find in side two dinky little coin purses fixed on the inside in a bright green and a bright red.


They give me the feeling of being the gutz of the bag, the entrails that are hidden deep within.


Or a pleasant little surprise, like the sexy lingerie of a conservative little black dress, these foxy little inside pockets add a new level of excitement.

AROUND THE NECK PHONE CASES

I have been thinking a lot about people wearing mobile phone cases around their necks like this. So here are a few images of some interesting phone cases which cross over to being a fashion accessory.

Man in Stockholm enjoying the sun.

The utilitarian look dresses down a formal outfit which is what i really like about this look.

Granny Tunes embroidered ipod holder by Greece is for Lovers.

Round necklace coin holder by david and azumi - one of my favourite accessories brands.


I'm not really sure what could be in this little front joey pouch but i think it might be a phone or credit cards, either way, as you can see its quite a unisex look.


Not only is this method of carrying around your phone really handy but i think its the accessories direction of the future - fulfilling a function at the same time as making a decorative statement.

VINTAGE CAMERA CASES

I have a thing for bags made for specific purposes like camera bags, sports equipment bags and other specifically shaped bags which allude to their contents regardless of whether its in there or not. There are a lot of camera cases from this vintage region, i'm not too hot on history but i would take a stab at the 60s moving into the 70s when SLR cameras were at their heyday. I vaguely remember my mum's camera case.


I think it gets more interesting when you look at the more modern takes on this item. Marc Jacobs (below) has designed this camera case which sort of looks 70s style but was probably designed within the last couple of seasons. I am trying to research camera bags like this which have been designed more recently but which have strong visual links to the 70s.

Claire Ferreira DOWNSIDE UP

In her own words, "Rush bag echoes our impulsive behaviour within the tiny daily crisis of looking for something in a bag. Turn it upside down to expose its contents"

Recent graduate from the Royal College of Art in London is Claire Ferreira. She has come up with this conceptual bag project founded by the frustration from looking for things in your bag. I'm sure we have all been there. I think its a great way to get rid of the crap at the bottom of your bag like bread crumbs and cigarette tabacco.


The bits that dangle down from clips attached with cute red string double as a way to carry your belongings on the outside rather than the inside of your bag.


Cute and quirky at the same time, this is a nice project, topped off by the white handle at the base of the bag which pulls the whole concept together.


You can check out her blog by going to : http://claireferreira.blogspot.com where she also has a few other of her projects on show.

CALUMET PHOTOGRAPHY SHOP NEW YORK

This is a little camera case I bought last week in new York from a fab
shop that does every kind of photographic equipment you could ever need.

I am also attempting mobile blogging for the first time from my trusty iphone, so expect more 'on the run' entries in the weeks to come before i get completely jacked off with typing on tiny buttons.

jacqui satchel

This is a satchel bag / shopper that turns into a backpack, i made it with my very own little hands a few weekends ago. It was a bit of an experimental number which i hope to get made in some better materials when i get some funds and motivation together.


The photos are taken outside my place at London fields on the day when i got locked out of my house a few weeks ago. I remember cos there was nothing else to do whilst i was waiting for morgan to come home than to take a few photos of this bag i just made.



The straps come off from being backpacks and transform the bag into a shopper.



With a little help from the old press stud it all works together.

Bread and Butter Berlin SS10

Reporting LIVE from berlin, i'm at bread and butter, reporting for my company WGSN, looking at trends in footwear and accessories. I thought before popping off to dinner with the girls from WGSN and heading to the Puma Dassler party and a few more, i would post a sneaky one (for all 5 of my blog visitors out there) with some of the cool things i have seen today at the show.


Right now I'm blogging from my hot hotel room. I'm stayng at the arthotel, its a nice place, but the showers are mental. (and i mean that in a bad way) I just spent all day trapesing around a gigantic airport hanger, it was amazing, Bread and Butter has returned to its home - Berlin. It is THE event for streetwear, sports and fashion and its stronger than ever in berlin.

Just to set the scene here are some general pics from the show.


The show actually located in a disused airport - tempelhoff in berlin, its directly out of the 70s and the most amazing location for the show, i can't even describe to you how perfect the setting and organisation was, right down to the very last details. Even the baggage claim conveyor belt was put to good use for displaying hundreds of copies of the Bread and Butter bible for people to take. (or leave seeing they were so bloody heavy!)



Now for the bags...


The guys at the Jack Spade stand were amazing. So nice and polite and really happy to have WGSN on their stand. Their bags were, as expected, such amazing quality, understated but also fashionable in that anti-fashion way. The above bag is a canvas shopper with a rubber base detail the rubber 'dipped' detail makes the bag waterproof , a sort of wellie for a bag, what an amazing idea and the colour blocking works so well.


Orange duffle in tarpaulin material with wide webbing handles, loving the colour! Also by Jack Spade.

Very much in the preppy look that is so hot right now, by Jack Spade.

Jack Spade at Bread and Butter Berlin. Love this yellow piece, it would look super with the new Nixon Rubber player which i also spied today! (see below)

The Rubber Player in yellow by Nixon, my favourite watch brand ever!

Backpack by Japanese brand Onitsuka Tiger. their stand was amazing. it was playing on their japanese heritage with an old japanese lady doing giant oversized calligraphy with brushes the size of brooms. The product was looking really slick, they mainly do footwear and dabble in some apparel but also have some accessories such as this bag which is part of the Tsuri collection inspired by fishing. The footwear including evolved deck shoes and fishing inspired bags and headwear.


Manhattan portage was also showing for the very first time at bread and butter. The brand has not changed much over the last 10 years or so but that is what we love about it so much. They have started a new sub brand called 'token' which is inspired by the tokens used in the new york city subway. the branding is not as slick as i would say the original red label branding but it aims to branch out into a more feminine oriented line, making use of more luxury materials and feminine detailing.

More to come!!!!! I love bread and butter berlin!