Oversized Mixed Bag Ivory / Wisteria / Lavender / Soft Violet / Smoky Plum / Smoky Mauve｜PP Craft Bag - Trial No.2
Design & Craft
【Prototype】Fortuna Pearl: Multi-Colored Super Wide Tote
- This piece is a prototype of a super wide tote-style bag made using Fortuna Pearl in various widths.
By centering the design around Ivory (Zouge-iro) and skillfully combining five shades of purple-based colors, we have achieved a large bag that is both stylish and deeply colored. This multi-colored design creates a striking and impactful bag.
【Body Design】
- Size: Designed with extremely large dimensions: 75 squares wide × 17 squares deep × 59 squares high (based on dot rows). It features a tote shape designed for ample storage capacity.
- Color: A mixed design featuring the central Ivory color and five different shades of purple-based colors.
- Material: Fortuna Pearl (multiple widths used).
【Handle Specifications】
Weaving Technique: Uses a "Bellows Weave" (Jabara Ami) crafted from 3mm-wide Ivory (Zouge-iro) band.
- Feature: Woven to leverage the soft texture of the Fortuna material, it is expected to feel comfortable and gentle when held or carried on the shoulder.
- Specifications: Total length of 80 cm. Secured firmly with φ 6 double-sided rivets (Kashime), ensuring durability.
Product shape and dimensions
Making Story
I am personally unfamiliar with fashion, but I am always drawn in by the elegance women carry. The thought of making a large bag for women that is not only sturdy but also stylish is what set this prototype in motion.
During production I miscalculated the material length, which resulted in an unintended super-large size. The wave that appears in the weave is evidence that my skills still have a way to go: I cannot yet weave the intended size cleanly, and the result shows what happens when you reach for an even bigger size on top of that. I have since corrected it to the current state, but the issue is one I plan to keep improving with practice.
After the body was finished, I prioritized building out the website (relaunched August 13, 2020), and the handles were not actually attached until 393 days later. That delay, however, produced a new idea: the bellows weave (sometimes called a cobra weave) used on the handle. Bellows weave devours material. A single piece of the 3mm-wide, 2m Fortuna material yields only about 8 to 9cm of woven handle. For one handle about 80cm long I needed ten pieces of 3mm × 2m material, meaning twenty pieces in total for the pair.
As an accent I used two layers of 15mm-wide material, extended directly into part of the handle, but I was uneasy about its strength. So I sandwiched a length of domestic transparent PP band (1m × 13mm wide) between the accent and the handle section, and secured everything with rivets. On top of that I re-wove the four points where the body and the handle meet, so the strength is reinforced even in places that cannot be seen.
Every idea that came out of the trial and error here is one I can carry into the next project. This prototype was an important step that has made me genuinely excited about what comes next.
This product was not put up for sale; after the description was posted, I gave it as a gift to someone who has been a great help to me.
Product code: FMWX-T002 / Production: one piece only