Growing up in my house, as long as an item was tangentially related to school, it was purchased with minimal parental interference. That's why this time of year always makes me nostalgic, craving a basket full of colorful Gelly Roll pens, fresh 3-ring notebooks and enough glue stick for a lifetime's worth of craft projects. And then there was the biggest, most important yearly purchase of all...the new backpack.

Not that there was ever anything wrong with my old backpack. It was never worn out or riddled with holes or even that dirty looking. I was usually just sick of it and excited at the prospect of selecting a new day-to-day accessory. It felt like a fresh start. A chance to redefine my personal style. Now that I'm officially old, I thought that this opportunity was gone forever. Let's face it, most everyday bags are pretty boring.

And then I heard about an accessories label from The Netherlands called Vlieger & Vandam—a line of practical but playfully-designed bags endowed with a sense of humor. Example: their toiletries cases feature a black mustache or a pair of bright red lips, while messenger bags come embellished with a 3-D felt mold of a knife or a gun—just the thing to arm yourself for the office. "Bags are perfect items to express your feelings, to make a statement," co-designers Carolien Vlieger and Hein van Dam have said. "Vlieger & Vandam works with themes of everyday life. We get inspired by the six o'clock news and by exploring urban landscapes."

Carry one of these tough-as-nails beauties and you'll never have to worry about being cornered at the water cooler by the office bully again...

Vlieger & Vandam is available at Silverman Gallery, 2296 Third Street, (415) 255-9508.

- Caroline Stanley

Similar Topics:accessories, bags, International Designer, the netherlands

comments (0) : Send to a Friend : Subscribe

:  digg this :  del.icio.us! :