Cap Matches color is the definitive book on collectible Spray Paint. When they say "two decades of digging" they mean it. Over twenty years dedicated in hardware stores looking for and documenting an overlooked graphic history. The new edition of this book has something to offer whether you are clueless of this subculture or you're up to your ears in vintage Rustoleum.

Designing a wallet seems simple enough. We all need a place to put cash, cards, and an endless stream of receipts. With the JIMI wallet I wanted to provide those essential functions and offer a way to prioritize. You don’t need to get your insurance card out as often as your debit or ID (I hope), but it does need a convenient place. With that in mind, we put two levered pull tabs that offer access to secondary storage spaces and a slip pocket on the back for the cards you use the most. 

As a product designer, I spend a lot of time obsessing over what folks might consider mundane. Take keys, for example. The number of times I spent looking for my keys, was locked out of my apartment, or was just generally disorganized as a result of having improper key discipline, are innumerable. 

To some degree or another, I feel we have all experienced this, so I started to tinker with the idea of trying to solve this problem.

Friend of the brand Mike2600 (Burlesque Design) has designed an interesting card deck. More info and links to his Kickstarter after the jump.

Rich Medina 45 Bag

We have been working with DJ and jet setter Rich Medina on constructing a bag that works for his 7 inch records and hectic travel schedule  We are really happy with the end result and will be adding the bag to our line up soon. In the mean time please check out this promo video we shot detailing the collaborative process. Enjoy

 

Check out this great collection of vintageMayan-inspired playing cardsdesigned in Soviet Russia.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

This is an incredible home concept by Norwegian firm Rintala Eggertsson Architects. It retains and absorbs heat, making it energy efficient in a cold climate. I love the contrast between the sleek metal exterior and the warm, wooden interior.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

I stumbled across this site through ffffound! I believe it’s a link from some type of Brazilian travel site. I don’t speak Portuguese or Spanish so it’s anyone’s guess. However, I know sweet money when I see it. U.S. notes seem so bland after looking at these.

- The Folks at TWIRKETHIC

Danish photographer Kim Høltermand creates some incredible architectural images. He captures every interesting vantage point on each structure and emphasizes the sculptural qualities of his subjects.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

Here is a cool little interview we did with German bag design magazine The Bag Stage Report about the creation of Tucker and Bloom and our roots.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

 

What is the name of the label and what is the idea behind the name?
Tucker & Bloom: We are a family owned company, with deep roots in design, and a dedication to old world craftsmanship. The name comes from the combination of the two sides of our family.
The Tucker’s were British relatives that settled in Northern New England as ship builders, and whalers in the 1800’s. The Bloom’s were Eastern European craftsmen that moved to America after the First World War and became involved in the New York garment industry. The brand strives to meld these two histories through clean functional design and use of rugged, durable materials.

Where are you from?
The company was founded in 1978 in Boston Mass as Bloom Fine Leather Accesories where it found success in its first line of handbags. It than relocated to Brooklyn NY and is now based in beautiful Nashville TN.

What is the inspiration behind your collection and what kind of materials do you use?
Our bags emphasize organization, and individuality through the use of functional design. We were inspired by a combination of things when designing the collections. The function of the bags came first. We also felt that designing them for domestic manufacturing and having the bags fit into specific lifestyles were important. We currently offer three lifestyle lines Work, Transitions and Leisure. Each line has a particular feel, use and purpose. The materials that are used in the collections are 1980 denier Ballistic Nylon, Heavy Cotton Canvas, Neoprene and Leather (Some
vegetable tanned and some chrome tanned). We have also used some small rubber micro-injection branding patches, as well as satin nickel side release buckles with our logo laser engraved on them.


Since when do you run your own collection?
The Tucker & Bloom bag collections have been available since 2007.

How or why did you start designing bags?    
I started designing bags in the 70’s and was lucky enough to find a mentor in Kosta Spyrololous(a small handbag manufacturer in Boston). I became fascinated with European classical handbag construction, though in my early years the handbags were far from classical construction.  After moving to New York I worked side by side with aging holocaust survivors who passed on knowledge learned from many years in the business. I’m not exactly sure why I have found bag design so endlessly interesting but I continue to learn everyday.  What more could a person hope for in work; passion for the product and the opportunity to learn something new everyday.

Do you exhibit on trade fairs?
It is our desire to make our company a sustainable US manufactured product, with our main distribution direct to consumer and very little wholesale. Although, we are looking at doing some co-branding b2b, and will be offering our Transitions line through the wholesale channel in the spring of 2010.

Nothing excites us here at Tucker & Bloom more than good functional design. In its best form good design can redefine the way we use a product, or reinterpret its function entirely. These Braun products designed by Dieter Rams have a stripped down functional design that just oozes class.

 -THE BAG MESSENGER

Photonium has a Flickr set featuring some vintage Braun products, designed by Dieter Rams. A lot of these designs look like they could have been produced yesterday instead of decades ago. If the Braun photos interest you, make sure to check out Photonium’s Charles and Ray Eames Flickr set as well.

Ron van der Ende’s work in bas relief is astounding. Each of the flat pieces takes on a three dimensional appearance while exhibiting van der Ende’s pieced-together painting style.  The subjects are often physical representations of obsolescence and it makes sense that they are created using reclaimed timber.

-THE BAG MESSENGER