Tuesday, December 30, 2008

STEAMER/BANKER/NAVIGATOR [REDUX]

What's old today is new tomorrow. And invention always seems new. So when Jason brought back a Louis Vuitton steamer bag circa 1911 he had dug-up at a specialist shop in Japan, two things happened.


First; we bought a book. Paul-Gerard Pasols' Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury. Honestly we're on the fence as to the idea of luxury these days. But for sure we're all agreed on quality and innovation so it was inspiring to flip through the pages and find out about the sort of crazy inventions coming from the Vuitton clan back in the day. Some to do with transformer-style travel bags (like the case that sprouts a daybed) and some to do with travel itself (like DaVinci looking airplanes and helicopters).


Around here we try to worship tradition while destroying convention, so this stuff was spiritually right up our street.


Second; Jason collaborated with a small English bag atelier to re-imagine our own steamer, banker and ww2 pilot's navigator bags in Japanese selvedge denim, British saddle leather and solid brass hardware.