Tour Tote

admin — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 18:32:00 +0000

Is it possible to have a bag that’s cooler than you are? My street cred increased substantially when I started carrying around the Tour Tote by SNAP design. You see, I live in New York City, but I’m a Southern girl (Athens, GA, baby!) at my core, so I constantly have to negotiate the internal tug-of-war between my current persona (Big City Trendsetting Fashionista) and the persona of my upbringing (Small Town Working Class Thrifter). Fortunately for me, in the neighborhoods that I frequent, the two have melded together to create a blended identity that is more commonly known as “hipster.”

Though hipsters are largely denigrated in the media that is marketed to them (apparently irony is tres chic), one thing I find attractive about this niche population is the way they dress. Maybe it’s because I'm inundated with it, or maybe it’s my own aesthetic sensibility. Whatever the case, I aspire to dress like a hipster from time to time. And when you dress like a hipster, you have to have hipster accessories. That’s where the Tour Tote comes in.

SNAP design is a small, Portland-based, woman-run company that sells handmade items, including multiple bags—tote, shoulder, laptop—with interesting, minimalist stitching on them. A lot of the patterns follow a variation on mod styles, and the deep color variety (navy, mustard, ruby red, sage, olive) is an appealing alternative to the current '80s neon trend. The purse is made out of vinyl (good news for vegetarians!) and the lining is cotton twill, both of which make this sturdy bag able to handle the elements, as well as repeated use. It’s also a nice size (h: 12.5" w: 11" d: 5")—big enough to carry everything you may need, but small enough not to be awkward.

I replaced my messenger bag with this purse almost immediately. It’s a decision I don’t regret. Now people actually look at me when I walk through Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And although the Southerner in me hopes for a smile, a wayward glance at my new bag is good enough.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, November 3rd 2007

Pom-Pom Makeup Bag

admin — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:04:00 +0000

By SNAP design

Michelle Kline (aka SNAP design) is a master of minimalist design. She takes an ordinary object (in this case a makeup bag) and makes it fabulous by adding a little hint of detail while also relying on the color palate to speak to one's aesthetic preference. And you know what? It works for me.

These little pom-pom flowers are cutesy, but not too cutesy. I'm not really the kind of girl that uses a makeup bag, but this could make for a quite fashionable clutch purse as well at just 5.5 x 8 inches, and the smaller size (4 x 5 inches), Kline deems as a change purse. This bag could be used to store those little 3 fl oz bottles of shampoo or whatever other liquid you're trying to smuggle onto an airplane these days. Instead of worrying about the contents of the bottles, the scanner will be transfixed by the design.

Okay, so I'm being a bit cliché, but you know you like it. And if you don't like it, Kline has a whole host of other crafty carriers for you to choose from, including the très chic pod wallet for none other than your trusty iPod (or another mp3 player, but does anyone really have something other than an iPod these days?). It's no wonder she's been featured in Bust, Allure, Teen Vogue, and Daily Candy. SNAP design is a fashionista's dream, especially if that fashionista is a feminist of the pop variety. So pop on to her website chicas (and chicos)!

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, November 28th 2006