In high school we were taken to meet a guy who made "antiqued" furniture. It was all freshly made in his shop, but he had an array of objects—chains, bottlecaps, and even carefully-selected rocks—that he'd flay, pound, drop and grind against each piece to give it a calculated weathering. The results were convincing, but one of my classmates sniggered something about it being fake. The man asked the kid if his jeans were pre-faded, or if he'd bought them like that.
Whether clothing or furniture, there's a history for beating things up for aesthetic reasons; but how far should we take that? Francesco Pavia, a designer who hails from Venice, has extended it into luggage with his Crash Baggage line.
What is the first thing we think about when we buy a new suitcase?We worry that it might get ruined.
The damaged case! An innovative travel philosophy that has opened the way to a whole new way of conceiving the suitcase: that of the non-handle with care, where damage is no longer a problem.
Crash baggage already has the typical dents that are caused by frequent use. Indeed, over time, the new dents give even more personality to the suitcase. All this without forgetting the functionality and comfort of an object that has been created using the most advanced materials.
I kind of wish he'd make these perfect and then throw them down a concrete staircase, but the consistent dents indicate these come out of a mold.
In any case, what say you—yea or nay?
See Also: "Free Fall" Chair by Ezri Tarazi; "Do Hit" Chair by Marijn van der Poll for Droog
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