Interview w.Alex Caputo of Caputo & Co.

Saw/read this on Hypebeast earlier today, thought you guys might find it pretty interesting to read. Below are a couple of points that grabbed us…

* “Making a difference in the lives of talented and hardworking artisans from Central America”
*  ”its important as a new brand to constantly be searching for the next thing. Men are paying far more attention to their accessories, now more than ever.”
* “Social responsibility has been a key part of the DNA of the brand from the start. Comunidades de la Tierra is a non-profit that helps artisans in remote villages in Guatemala.”

And below is a snapshot of the interview – you can read the interview entirely over at Hypebeast.

Caputo & Co is a new brand. How did it start and more importantly, why should people know about it?
Starting my own collection was something that I always wanted to do. I wanted a collection that reflected my appreciation for handcrafted, well-made, beautiful accessories and after 10 years of designing for other brands, all the stars aligned for me to be able to create my own. It is masculine and functional with great style. But most of all, the collection has the highest quality vegetable dye leathers and signature hardware, which to me make a big difference. Most of all I think it is distinctive in design yet approachable enough that any guy can add a piece of Caputo & Co. to their personal collection and feel like it fits.

Fall 11 was the first season your collection hit stores. What anxieties have you discovered come with launching a new collection? What is your favorite item you’ve made to this point?
It is extremely rewarding to start your own collection but definitely comes with a lot of anxieties, like sourcing materials and receiving samples on time, outreaching buyers and editors to check out the collection and meeting them for the first time. After the first orders were placed (big sigh of relief), I wanted to make sure the production was flawless and delivered on time. One of my favorites is the week(ender) bag with adjustable straps. I like the belt detailing on the straps and just how easy and functional it is for everyday wear in the city or to go away for the weekend.

In general, what are you most proud of?
Definitely getting the collection out in stores and making a difference in the lives of talented and hardworking artisans from Central America.

No related posts.

Andrea Porcu. You probably haven’t heard him, yet. But this young Italian designer has just launched his first project – Atto Bags, and has just dropped the first three pieces of his debut collection.

Combining a timeless style with urban functional contemporary edge that easily transforms to suit the needs of the wearer, Atto Bags are created from the finest Italian leather (sounds like an ad on Sale of Century haha) but don’t be fooled by the everyday shapes of the bags, there’s a couple of little surprised in both of them…

HERO is a weekender bag, gym bag, a sack or backpack. Just like any Hero worth their salt, this bag is always there when you need it. It’s compact yet will fit enough for a relaxing weekend or, according to the designer (theoretically!), one million dollars in change, shall the need arise. Which we hope it doesn’t… Can you imagine lifting that?

LUDWIG can be a laptop bag, tote, backpack, messenger bag or a clutch. It transforms with a few manipulations of straps and handles, serving daily needs with a sleek and elegant ease.

All Atto bags are made in limited numbers, with attention to detail and excellent quality materials: fine Italian leather, sturdy hardware fixtures and rubber. The production process is completely by hand in small workshops of artisans in a beautiful region of Umbria famous for its artisanal traditions. For the eco-conscious ATTO offers a version of LUDWIG and HERO with straps and handles made from recycled rubber.

PS They also developed a kick ass looking pushy…

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Bag Watching…

It’s akin to people watching. You can sit around and just watch and marvel at some of the bags that people walktz around with… Watching people walk around is one thing, but watching what those people are using as their main carry device definitely takes the concept to creepier levels… But hey, better to have a bag fetish then say, a hairspray fetish – would be kind of weird trying to smell hair in the street, no? Here’s a few bag snaps I took while in the US…

So I just spent three months in the US during their summer. Fair to say I had some fun… But while trekking around the country I took a fair few snaps of what other people are rolling round with as their main carry device and while backpacks seem the majority (of the small sample I took) there were still some interesting items getting used.

Most of the shots were taken during a tradeshow (Agenda) at the start of August, others were taking on the streets. Not sure how much an carry insight this post actually shares, but I did find it interesting seeing what other people roll round with.

What about you? You do your fair share of bag watching? Care to share some snaps?

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5 Neat Things Happening in Carry Today

Last year we guest posted on Buzz Beast with 5 rad things happening in the bags world. After some recent prodding from friends (and because it was a fun post to put together), we figured it was time to update it.

So here are 5 neat things happening in the world of carry as we see it…

Customising

It used to be that if you wanted something dialed in for your tastes, you had to pay a bespoke craftsperson one squillion dollars to do it. Oh how things have changed…

Amongst the more mainstream brands, there are now some great options for making a bag match with your favorite pair of shoes.

NikeID has been expanding their program to include bags, offering a bunch of fun fabric colors and graphic treatments on some backpacks and shoulder bags.

Timbuk2 are adding warehouses full of material options to their customizing program, with enough colours and textures to keep you deliberating for hours.

And craft makers like Temono continue to make wallets and bags to order, with loads of combinations offered.

If small scale is more your thing, the interwebs have given access to countless small scale makers who are very willing to customise a bag for you. Seagull bags, Vaya Bags, and lots of others will now work with you to realise a look that feels just right for you. Oh, and have you had a look at Etsy recently?

—–

Lightweighting

It used to only be the ultralight backpackers that asked for lighter and lighter weight gear. But in recent years, they’ve been joined both by travellers sick of getting stung by ever lower airline baggage allowances, and every activity in between.

New fabrications, thinner fabrics, and some clever design tricks are seeing weight stripped from carry gear aimed at all sorts of activities.

There’s the tiny packable bags , featherweight surfboard bags starting to use Tyvek, stripped back daypacks, and a renewed focus on weight from the big luggage brands like Samsonite.

Oh, and those ultralite backpackers are still at it.

—–

Weather-proofing

Once again, this used to be the preserve of outdoor brands, generally building ‘dunk duffels’ for canoeing. But with the glorification of urban cycling, bags, panniers and even wallets are getting the water resistance treatments while finally shedding the wiggles look.

Part of this is being achieved with new fabrics and coatings, part with seam technologies like welding and sealing, and part with adapted construction tricks like roll tops and deep gussets.

There’s the usual bike packs that we often yap about, there’s the pretty rad Nike NSW range that continues to evolve , there’s fishing packs, fashion bags, and yes, the outdoor guys continue to evolve their Wiggles bags.

—–

Small Satchels (forced by the iPad)

Man bags have long been socially restricted to European cities. Used anywhere else, they pretty radically pigeon-holed you, whether you wanted to be or not.

However then necessity has come along in the form of iPads and netbooks, and all of a sudden guys are scratching to find a small bag that will comfortably carry a slim computer and a few basics, while preserving enough of their masculinity that they don’t feel threatened.

One of the great ways to achieve this balance is with craft, and so we’re seeing makers like Hard Graft and Sunset Craftsman Co let you tout your craft credentials.

Then there is the understated approach, for which Porter will always be a starting point.

If utility is your look, Millican have one of the smallest roll-tops around, or if affordability is more your thing, check out Chrome’s utility take and the Rapha Bonk bag (did we just say Rapha and affordable in the same sentence?).

—–

‘Carry’ is getting embraced as a term

Bags, luggage, cases and wallets have been getting made and sold together for decades, and yet there has never really been a widely embraced term for them. They are generally all just lumped into ‘accessories’ or ‘bags’.

So as 2011 settles in and the interwebs are getting better at sharing good ideas, we’re finally seeing ‘carry’ get embraced by more and more blogs, brands, retailers and thought leaders.

From the Every Day Carry (EDC) scene, through blogs like Carryology and The Carry, to brands like Makr and Bellroy, the term is gaining momentum as a way to label what people have been bundling together for years. And at Carryology, that makes us happy.

we grabbed the header image Christine Mason Miller’s site. Go take it look, it’s pretty neat.

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How does Bear Grylls carry?

Do you watch Man vs Wild? That crazy show following Bear Grylls as he demonstrates to us how to get out of situations that most of us will never find ourselves in (as we’re all to scared and soft to do stuff at his level) But doesn’t it just grab ya and suck you in! Ever wondered what Bear carries all his gear round in?

Stumbling around a site called Outdoor Survival Clothes, we came across the Bear Grylls BearPac 25+, which is the backpack that Bear uses on the show. The pack is a 25 litre rucksack that considering what Bear does with it in comparison to what you’re more then likely to put it thru, it’s fair to say it’s going to hold up really well.

The crew over at Outdoor Survival Clothes have a pretty neat little conversation happening about the BearPac 25+ and also the BearPac 35+ (the 35 litre version). Below are a couple of snippets from their conversation re: the BearPac 25+

“It’s designed to be more of a streamlined rucksack then most and main compartment is made with high quality zippers to ensure a trouble free open. Gear loops and a number of side pockets, including a water bottle pocket, will surly keep all your gear secure. You can store maps and a compass in the smaller pockets and maybe a nice warm coat in the main pocket. There is a must have hip belt leading to a soft back support panel which keeps you cool and comfortable. Fabrics for this pac are made from ultra strong 600 denier polyester with heavy-duty tarpaulin trim and a reinforced base.”

Head over to Outdoor Survival Clothes to get involved in the conversation.

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Moleskine Non-Notebook Items

If you’re a fan of Moleskine and are capable of using the internet/blogs, you more than likely would have seen this already. But why are we posting so late? Becuase your editor of this amazing site got lost in a weekend of Easter festivities that spread over a 5day long weekend! We’re back on track now though and bringing you two posts this early morning to get back on the horse. This one, and the one below it.

So back to the Moleskine Non-Notebook Items. Have ya seen ‘em? Moleskine have branched out beyond their traditional line of notebooks and have introduced three new collections dedicated to Writing, Traveling, and Reading. They include bags, pens, pencils, reading glasses, cases, reading stands and USB rechargeable booklights. They, like most things Moleskine produce, look quite attractive, despite being reasonably simple and not trying to reinvent anything (all the characteristics you’ve come to adore about the notebook brand).

Need a full wrap up? Hit Wired, Core77 & The WSJ for more info, because I wanted to share the stop motion clip that got released with it all instead. As you know, we’re lovers of stop motion at the moment (as it seems is the rest of the world with the amount of stop motion clips getting released). But this one from Moleskine is pretty neat – showing how some of the bags got designed, how they can be used and just really nice design shines through in the clip. It’s quite wonderful.

Take 5 and grab a peek.

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Liking | wejetset

Who Are They: The tagline reads, “the store and voice of modern travel culture”. The about page reads, “Established in 2007, wejetset brings together the products and information that every smart traveler needs.” As we see it, wejetset is the place to find out about all things travel related in a tightly curated platform. You want the best (by that we don’t mean luxury, we mean functional, design, use) travel related products, news and ideas on places to visit then wejetset is a site you need to bookmark.

Why We Like It: An online store, notes from around the world via their contributors, images that get hyped to explore and travel. And not just typical travel scenarios, but other elements like events happening at night, clubs to see, show and exhibitions to visit, so while it is travel related, you can find stuff that’s going on in your local are. What’s not to like? For us, it’s the hypebeast of travel websites/stores.

Who Else Might Like It: Anyone who enjoys the magic of travel and the knowledge it can bring. Even if you’re not aiming to travel, being made aware of various places and product from around the world is great in itself. Add to that the curation of events/shows/exhibitions and product and it’s quite a well rounded site for the modern online voyager…

Where They Are: It’s a website, so it’s global and they have contributors from a lot of different places across the globe. But we’re pretty sure that Taj, who started it all, is kicking around Philly in the USA.

Find out more about wejetset:
website
twitter
tumblr

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Drive By | Blk Pine Daypack

Road testing a bag can take a long time to nail and given all the bags that are out there, it’s kind of unfair to let so many other go without a review of some sort. Enter ‘Drive By’, a new category that allows us and you to check out more carrying products. While the Road Tests will continue in their detailed format, Drive By’s are more for a quick glance at a bag, answering a couple of basic questions with a few images.

First up is the Blk Pine Workshop Daypack, which was given a quick once over by Carryology contributor Brian Park. Come take a Drive By…

Brian bought the pack for his Mrs from the stellar guys at Four Horsemen, a great online store (more on them in a later post tho). The daypack is American made with American made materials and the construction. While effective, it’s not highly sophisticated in construction.

The sloping bottom gives the bag a difference from an aesthetic standpoint, and it’s quite sleek and ‘neat’.  The straps may be a little too close for anyone that is of a bigger build, but they’re wide enough that you could chamfer them down. Overall it’s a basic bag, but built bomber and is cute as a button. (Ed: Cute as a button? Who let that thru the editing process!? haha)

Brian was initially attracted to Herschel, but after some disappointment seeing them in the flesh, ultimately went with the Blk Pine and his girl is really happy with the decision!

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Backpack Shapes & Functions

You people watch right? Everyone does, and it’s an enjoyable activity. Sitting around watching the world pass by, seeing the difference between people, the different clothes, the different trends and for us, the different backpacks. Have you noticed how many different shapes and sizes that backpacks come in? It’s pretty awesome.

To help classify a few different shapes and hopefully provide some clarity on it all, we’ve gotten our lead designer (monkey on rollerblades) to lay up a real neat looking infographic about the different shapes and their functions they provide. Come take a peek…

for a larger version of the above image, click here

Backpack shapes illustrate the same shape of its content. The more specific to an activity the more obvious the language is. Trends are making it even more difficult to separate between urban and daypacks, with brands creating bags that look like an active bag and great on the shoulder but are in actual fact difficult to use in their intended function. (not enough pocketing, too many straps hanging everywhere…)

Officebags that reflect their purpose well, that is to say they carry laptop and documents, fail to be attractive enough to be used in a more relaxed environment. Packs seem to struggle to cross over between circles of use. They are very specific and are of infinite variety of designs in their own category. A new category is still to come that merges and severs the functions needed between work and play.

With the poster above we classified 8 different shapes:
Hiking: Best suited to carry heavy loads for long period of time, very stable and comfortable. Check out the Osprey Aether Series

Snow/Ski/Surf: Best suited for action sports. The construction allow good body movement in carrying snow/ski gear. Lots of attachments on the outside of the bag makes it easy to recognize. Check out the Da Kine Heli Pro

Bike: Most bike packs have a roll top to keep your clothes and precious stuff dry. They offer large pockets for tools and daisy chains for your light. Check out the Chrome Ivan

Office: A rectangle/sqaure looking shape. it shows very clearly that it is made to carry laptop and documents. It often offers good internal organizational options. Check out the Arcteryx Totem Blade

School: A very square shape, it shows very clearly that it is made to carry books and documents. Being down the scale in price doesn’t give users a great deal of extras. Check out Caribee

Urban: One of the most popular market. The shape is neither too square or round.. They still have a laptop sleeve and offer basic pocketing. Shape reflects a general use. Check out the Gravis Metro

Fashion/Heritage: Same aspect as outdoor product but without the efficiency focus. They look great and big enough to carry most items. However don’t expect to be climbing Everest with it… Check out Herschel.

Fashion: Backpacks in this category have the most variety of shapes. No particular function other than main compartment and a front pocket. Check out Gregory Kletter Day Pack

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There exists a world without pain. It’s a world where the sun is always shining, and it’s inhabited by happy, healthy, wonderful people exploring the outdoors in technicolor splendour. It’s the world of Go Out Japan…

Who are they: Go Out are part of the Outdoor Style network – a retail and media group sharing the stoke of outdoor products with an appreciative Japanese audience. They are the folk behind The Backpack Book, which we have previously raved about.

Why we like them: Japanese carry goods are on the whole inaccessible to gaijin. Their language and characters keep our search engines away, and the size and sophistication of their domestic market means many brands don’t even bother exporting. With Go Out publications, we can get a little sneak peak into their exciting and exotic carry market.

Who else might like it: Lovers of whacky and different carry gear. Lovers of otherwise extinct brands like Dana Designs. Streetwear and outdoor crew looking for something really different.

Where they are: Japan. Nowhere else really. Just Japan. Check their website here, and ask Google to translate it for you.

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