Folding Patchwork Tote Bag
A foldable tote bag that can be folded into a small case and is easily transported for on-the-go use. The bag is made from fabric scraps and reclaimed textile materials.
Designed and made in Spring 2019 in response to a prompt to design a new product for our school's store to sell to a specific target audience.
The idea I had for a school store product came from the waste materials that were created by fashion students when creating their garments. I wanted to use the leftover offcuts to make a new usable product that also encapsulates our school's atmosphere and spirit. The goal was to turn this waste stream into a resource for manufacturing while also incorporating student work and participation. The production model consisted of two parts, the first was that the outer panel made out of fabric scraps could be fabricated by students by creating a rectangle of scraps sewn together, then the second part would consist of a separate manufacturer to complete the bag using the outer panel and adding an inner lining, pouch for the bag to fold into, and straps.
For the fabrication of this prototype, I used fabric scraps collected from around school for the outer panel. For the inner lining and scraps, I used reclaimed textiles from a company called Fab Scraps that collects unwanted fabrics from designers in New York and sorts them by material for recycling while reselling the usable pieces.
The final bag is able to fold. into a smaller bag that is attached to the inside of the bag that holds the tote when folded for easy transport. As part of the packaging of this product, a tag was made using illustrations to demonstrate how the tote bag is supposed to be folded. Because this tote bag was intended to be sold at the school store, an element of branding was incorporated in the form of a small embroidered school logo located on the front of the bag.
