The Group Bag: a Superior Labor bag designed with TSL Fans!

Thinking out of the box is a core concept for Nomado Store. I was brainstorming on future collaboration projects when it suddenly struck me that 90% of the products we sell are designed for customers by the brands themselves and sometimes by us, often basing ourselves on customer feedback, but what if the customers themselves helped design one?

In October 2018, 10 days before leaving for Japan to meet with The Superior Labor for the third time, I asked a group of Superior Labor fans, whether they would be interested in working on a collaboration project with Nomado Store AND TSL.

This simple question sparked off a discussion with over 40 fans, 65 comments and a list of basic specifications (after prioritising them with the participants) including type of product (the consensus was a shoulder bag), material (TSL's lighter paraffin canvas), type of leather (natural Japanese one) and colours (grey and blue). Add to that a host of practical details such as a key holder, bottle holder, zipped pocket, leather bottom and much more.

I was concerned that the project was too ambitious and labour-intensive so that TSL would ask me to simplify it. I should have known that they would positively bounce around their workshop with enthusiasm. We spent two days discussing projects with them and came back with a list of projects for 2019 and concrete plans for what we were now calling the "Group Bag Project".  

Chief designer and owner at The Superior Labor, Kawai-san got back to us in January with a 90% completed design.

 Later that month, he sent us a first design for the special leather label you can see in the pic at the top of this article.

We also agreed with the fans that this would be a numbered, limited edition product. Each bag would bear a brass badge with a unique serial number.

 They sent us a first (perfect)  sample in February, which I shared with the fans for comments and approval.

At this point, we set up a pre-order for them and the long wait started...

The bags arrived on June 27th and were shipped within 24 hours to (very patient) fans around the world (they are still on their way at the time I am writing this article).

 The 2 colours selected by the fans look fantastic! We haven't seen Superior Labor bags in these colours before.

Grey

Blue

Only twenty of these numbered limited edition bags were made, they are truly unique in design, but especially in the way they were designed!

We are always looking for new ideas and projects. Drop us an e-mail or call us if you have any ideas, we would love to innovate with you!