A different kind of bag for life
“We were fed up of seeing people carrying their lives in these grubby tatty cotton totes and wanted to offer an alternative,” says designer Rae Jones as I surreptitiously kick my own ‘tatty tote’ under my chair legs away from view. Rae is explaining the concept of the Buckitt bag at a friends and family launch of her Kickstarter campaign. But actually the bags speak very well for themsleves.
In a classic colour palette, crafted in England from vegetable-dyed leather, these bucket-shaped totes are the ideal size for today’s multi-tasker. They’re big enough for the laptop/magazine/gym kit but not so vast that they encourage overloading. They have comfortable shoulder straps that will fit over a jacket or coat and have even been tested over the sturdy arms of one of their Manchester factory workers.
I love the simple proportions and minimalist details – there’s no shouty logo or blingy hardware but you can choose whether your bag is zip top or open access. And the best bit is the familiar but luxurious colour palette. I would be hard pressed to choose between the bottle green, tan or wine red – rich hues that won’t date and will in fact look better with age. With a lifetime guarantee and a commitment to repairing and replacing worn out parts, think of this as a new kind of bag for life.
These bags are launching on Kickstarter, the online crowd-funding site that has helped fund films, publishing projects and fashion businesses. By pledging as little as £5 towards their target of £15,000, you can help give the Buckitt bag a firm foothold. Better still, early birds can order a Buckitt bag for £170 instead of the RRP of £260.
While the initial phase of Buckitt bags is limited to eight colours, the future plans include new shades, textures and collaborations. Personally, I can see it becoming the next Cambridge Satchel Company. To read more or pledge support, head to the Buckitt Kickstarter page here.
Watch the video below…
22 July, 2013 @ 7:28 am
I really love these bags and agree a much more stylish alternative than the cotton ones. I am loving the creative fashion projects that are coming about through crowd funding.