BANANATEX

SHOP Cooper Hewitt is always on the look out for designs that embody sustainability and quality craftsmanship. One of our favorite brands is Zürich-based QWSTION which was founded in 2008 to question the status quo of product design and manufacturing in the world today. Their answer? Innovative materials like Bananatex®, a durable and waterproof fabric made from the leaves of Abacá banana trees which are ethically cultivated through sustainable agriculture.

This novel material was combined with QWSTION's Swiss modernist design heritage to create a line of bags durable and waterproof enough for biking, yet suitably refined for business meetings. Each bag offers an arrangement of multiple interior pockets for safely storing belongings and valuables, while the adjustable configurations and natural colors allow for them to fit individual styles. A neat YKK® metal zipper with unique cotton tape is used instead of a plastic one. What’s more, both Roll and Zip Packs contain a Merino wool felt-lined sleeve to keep all belongings intact. Even the blueprints for these garments were created with zero-waste concepts to prioritize efficiency and minimize waste—is there a more thoughtful way to design a bag today?

Posted by Aleks

SHOP BLOG is written by the sales associates of SHOP Cooper Hewitt, bringing their singular design expertise into the digital realm.