The project was to design a streetwear-inspired luxury bag collection for Hidesign using leather, while also exploring alternate materials.
Hidesign is an international leather goods company that has an established market in India. Their classic silhouettes and natural leathers are popular with their customer base. Over the past few years, they have been experimenting with bold designs, to capture a younger market segment. Hidesign wanted to explore alternative materials to leather as they want to be known not only as a leather goods brand but also as a lifestyle brand.
It was decided that Hidesign would branch out into the domain of sports and street wear. An in-depth study was carried out to find the ideal material that would work well with leather and add a sporty element to the bags. Primary and secondary research was conducted on what street wear is and the Indian street wear market. Upon analyzing this data, it was realized that it was an ideal time to enter this market segment.
Understanding the customer who would buy street wear inspired bags from Hidesign was important. This was done through interviews, questionnaires, and user persona creation. A motivation of new customers to purchase Hidesign products was speculated, leading to mapping out design directions. A narrative of powerful movement and dynamic activity was created through conceptualizing, mood-boarding, and ideation.
After several discussions and product iterations through sketching, seven bag ranges were designed. Decisions were taken to find solutions to challenges that arose during prototyping. Interactions between materials, textures, and colours were explored. Functionality and proportions of the products were thought out with commute and productivity in mind. Each range showcases a design element that is inspired by sports. These ranges expanded into thirty-six products including bags, wallets, and other accessories to finish the collection.
Accessory Design, Leather Bags, Material Study, Streetwear, Textile Design
