Tote Backgrounds
The tote bag has made its way from humble beginnings to accessories in the portfolio of most designer brands. The word tote has a long fashion history back to the 17th century; the first tote bags were pouches worn around the waist to present a person’s status and wealth.
The tote bag that we recognise today was originated in the 1940s when US company LL Bean created their first bag for carrying ice and wood. The company reintroduced the boat bag 20 years later. It has the same structure but is coloured for the first time.
In the 1960s, creators were designing all varieties of tote bags to demonstrate the evolving sense of political and social awareness. (This could be the starting point of people using tote bags as an advertisement element).
Designer Bonnie Cashin created her Cashin carry tote. Big, bold, and beautiful, it fitted in well with the bright and colourful fashions of the time. (The origin point that guides to modern design.)
In the 1980s, New York bookshop The Strand introduced the turning point by renewing the version of the tote with a softer structure and was created from natural cotton canvas with the purpose of carrying items purchased in store. With the name of the shop printed in bright red on the front, this was one of the first tote bags to be used for advertising, and it worked.
In addition to the physical function, today’s tote bags aimed to reduce the amount of single-use plastics that get used in the community and to divert textile waste from landfills.
However, research has shown these cotton bags may not be the best alternatives as cotton production is water-intensive and pesticides required. Most importantly, an individual needs to stick to one bag forever to make it has the expected environmental advantages.
Tote Bag Designs
Styles
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Colourful Fishing Net Tote Bag
Colourful net bags look fashionable and earth-friendly compared to both plastic and cotton. The disadvantage is a limitation in its design and aesthetics.
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Reusable materials (T shirt, Jeans, Blankets)
Use unwanted cloth pieces reduce the damage of fast fashion made to the environments.
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Mesh
Mesh Produce Bags replace plastic and net bags, and are great for both produce shopping and storage. The mesh fabric is highly stretchable, allows for easy identification of contents, and provides excellent air circulation.
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Cross Body
They are comfortable to carry, distributing the weight of the bag on both sides of your body; they foil thieves intent on grabbing your bag; and they allow you to keep your hands free to push a stroller or carry shopping bags
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Knotted
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Patterns
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Spray-Dyed
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Neon Painted
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Ombre
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Print
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Handwriting / Self Paint
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Photographs
Tote Bag Sketches
Tote bags should be easy to carry and designed in a simple way that satisfy the daily needs. Hence, I did not want to make the designs too fancy that lost its original function. However, I do wanted to suggest the environmental costs of creating these bags ( as the Tote bag Crisis article suggested). As a result, I used cotton as my main object.
Process Photos
– Patter Drawing
– Fabric Hunting
– Sewing
Final Display
Artist Statement
My body of work incorporates simplicity, wear, and careful repairs in both design and materials choices to accomplish theme of zero waste tote bag. According to The Tote Bag Crisis, although totes may be considered “biodegradable”, it would take about 54 years of use PER bag to offset its impact. My pattern get inspired by the Japanese rice bag, which consists of unwanted clothes, fits the Zero-waste concept.
My design is small open tote bag, but with a twist. It has asymmetrical handles, and one of the handles slips through the other to form a knot and close the bag. Another reason to create these handles is that my grandmother does not like totes because she feels insecure that it is not fully closed on top. And this design solves the problem as well.
The process was fun but challenging. After making the prototypes in muslin, I started on my final fabric. It was my first sewing experience, and these raw edges on my bag were challenging. Luckily, my professor helped me out, and I learned that a lot of effort and thought are required to make a simple design work sufficiently. Material-wise, I chose a thick canvas for two reasons. First, it allows “recreation”; once customers get visually tired, they can paint patterns on it to make a ‘new’ bag. Second, the canvas can become water-resistant or even waterproof, making it a great outdoor fabric, strengthening its life span. To fully accomplish zero waste, I utilised every leftover fabric by doing some illustrations and sewing them together to decorate the bag.
Above all, my work examines sufficient transformation of traditional low waste totes. It traces back to history and incorporates a unique sense of cultural significance. I use paintable canvas to allow people to enjoy the beauty of recreation and reuse. The transformation of Japan’s traditional rice bag creates a way of questioning the attitudes and desire towards the form of something over its function, which has led to the enormous amount of waste in the tote bag industry.
