The project was to design a streetwear-inspired luxury bag collection for Hidesign using leather, while also exploring alternate materials. The graduation project is a culmination of the student’s educational journey at NID. The independent venture showcases their learning through the project undertaken in the industry environment. Hidesign is an international leather goods company that has an established market in India.
Over the past few years, they have been experimenting with modern and bold designs, to capture a different market segment. Hidesign’s initial brief stated that they wanted to explore alternative materials to leather, which would change the market's perception of the brand. An in-depth study of the streetwear market was carried out, along with understanding the requirements of a streetwear customer. User studies aided in establishing a starting point of this collection.
Movement and structure played a considerable role in my conceptualization of this streetwear collection. It is a convergence of motion and street, with visuals of a dynamic scene with action in the foreground. These are the aspects of playing a sport that I took forward and created a mood board that reflects the same. Geometry, clean lines, and symmetry are recurring themes.
Sustainability is at the core of the brand’s philosophy, and finding a material that emulates these values is crucial. Based on Hidesign’s aesthetic, values, and collection concepts, some materials were narrowed down and sampled. The material needs to be water-resistant, odor-resistant, and breathable for sports-related products.
After comparing the sample fabrics, an analysis of the materials and the requirements for the bags as products was carried out. From a bag point of view, the thicker of the recycled polyester material was shortlisted.
For a collection to become recognizable, there needs to be certain elements and quirks that hold it together, uniform across all the products. For the streetwear collection, there were a few directions for the fittings. One was an industrial look, and the other, a modern, clean geometric look. Brass finishes for each approach were decided upon, an antique silver for the industrial look and a nickel finish for the other. Webbing tapes are a sporty addition to accessories. They have been used by sportswear brands such as Nike and Reebok and luxury brands such as Off White and Gucci. Other add-ons, such as detachable pockets and a water bottle holder, were also designed and sampled. These would add a modular element to the bags and be used across the collection.
Taking the research on the visual language of streetwear forward and adding my own design elements that fit the brief, I shortlisted some design directions to explore. I wanted one range to focus on stripes and branding as elements, and another on high contrast in terms of color. Other directions included a range focussing on modular elements, and one with an industrial look.
Harlem Range
Manchester Range
Auckland Range
Lords Range
Athens Range
Wimbledon Range
Le Mans Range
To properly showcase the versatility and functionality of this streetwear collection, a shoot was done where the bags were styled with streetwear looks.
A photo edit series created by Rumi Varma and me, that showcase the sportiness and dynamism of the collection was created, where the bags, larger than life, are at the focus of our movement and activity.
Based on the responses from potential users and the user personas that I created, scenarios, where the bag would be carried by them, was contextualized, helping me visualize the bags in a real-world context.
Sponsor: Hidesign India Pvt. Ltd.
Guide: Vishnupriya Narayanan
Guide: Vishnupriya Narayanan
