BAG FOR LIFE
As the controversial new plastic bag laws come into effect in Kenya, Sophie Vent takes a look at the biography of the bag in the current issue of Selvedge...
The play between high and low culture has always been a favourite game of fashion houses and it continues to develop and distil. In 2014 Karl Lagerfield didn’t stop at the shopping bag when he recreated an entire supermarket for the Chanel Autumn/Winter show, stocking the shelves with branded groceries and plastic packaging. The simple pleasures of mainstream culture recreated as luxury items creates a trompe l’oeil effect that we continue to find appealing. This trend continues into the nuanced world of colour, where designers are finding new inspiration in the clashing synthetic tones of utility packaging most likely found under the kitchen sink. The utility colours of rubber glove yellows, ‘Ikea blues’ or ‘pepto bismol pinks’ subconsciously take on a fresh appeal and become desirable.
There is a more serious explanation to why these colours now feel ‘relevant’. The brash combinations of coloured plastics remind us of recycled materials or the brightly coloured shards that glitter our landfills. Perhaps this is the true reason why the humble carrier bag has been dressed up in sequins and pushed into the limelight. It has become an icon for consumer culture and represents the downfalls of our disposable lifestyle and the impact on the environment. Since the 1960s plastic bags have been our essential daily accessories, but our overuse of the once cherished invention has created a nuisance and a pest. Although it is important to note that plastic bags contribute a relatively low percentage of our landfill waste, their addition to our increasing battle with ocean plastics remains of extreme concern. Polyethene tangled in our landscape has become a global enemy. It blocks drainage systems, traps wildlife and lasts for over 1,000 years…
The last decade has seen the rise in new ‘eco friendly’ replacements such as Bags for Life or cotton totes printed with environmental slogans. British designer, Anya Hindmarch, created a limited edition design that proudly stated ‘I'm not a plastic bag’, which marked an early moment of sustainability becoming fashionable as it sold out immediately. Another brand, Baggu, takes the traditional plastic bag and recreates it in bright, washable nylon with an inspired selection of prints that reference traditional grocery stripes, as though you’ve been shopping at a designer fishmongers…
To read this article in full, order your copy of the current issue of Selvedge here.
Lead photograph by Benjamin Lennox / Management + Artists / August