Designer Focus | Ashish Shopping Bags

Having taken part in numerous textile workshops over the past couple of weeks and developing sample after sample with the help of primary and secondary artist research, I've finally decided that for my final outcome, I'd really like to try and create my own spin on a traditional shopping carrier bag. 

Since researching the markets and artists like Josh Blackwell and Kirsty Whitlock, I've had an idea in my head for a few weeks that I'd really like to create some sort of bag, either entirely one that I've made myself, or applying techniques like Blackwell and Whitlock onto an existing plastic bag in contrast with others I've learned in the previous workshops. 

To aid me in this, I wanted to take my focus from art work to existing garments in the fashion world and see if any brands had done anything similar and how they'd achieved it. 

In their SS14 collection, Ashish featured a range of high-end bags inspired by plastic shopping ones, some featuring a little play on popular supermarkets that are instantly recognisable. Ashish has heavily embellished each bag, instantly transforming them from low to high end but while still resembling a simple carrier bag.

I like how Ashish has styled them on the runway with groceries inside so that everyone understands their narrative which was inspired by the interesting culture surrounding the designers local corner shop. 

I love the shape of the bags as they resemble the traditional carrier bags that are slowly being replaced with "bags for life" in supermarkets, but can still be found in independent shops and are also in use at most of the stalls at Birmingham's markets. 

I think the shape of these bags is perfect and pretty much exactly the style I'd envisioned in my head. It's been a while since I've made any sort of garment but I'm up for the challenge of creating my own fully functioning shopping bag inspired by the markets of Birmingham.