Solar backpack
2018
Radius is a circular knitted travel backpack that is created in collaboration with Studio Eva X Carola and Santoni Innovation Center (Shanghai).
Circular knitting allows for an ‘all-in-one’ approach, meaning that a product can be constructed on the machine without the need for the usual amount of assembly and finishing while also reducing the amount of waste. Moreover, the material can be engineered stitch by stitch, enabling a unique combination of material qualities such as texture, volume, stiffness and density.
Photography: Ola Krondahl
Video: Ola Krondahl
Specialtyyarns
For this backpack specialty yarns, such as expansion yarns are mixed with high shrinking effects. This creates a variety of densities that give the backpack structure and form, texture and padding. The strap that runs across the front of the backpack appears to blend with the knit of the top lid. But a closer look reveals how light breaks on a beaded surface. This magical material holds secret powers: each bead is a tiny spherical solar cell that is woven into the fabric, creating a unique energy harvesting textile. The strap opens with a magnetic closure, giving access to a pocket hidden in the top lid to access the charging cable connected to the solar strap.
Nomadiclifestyle
Designed for the nomadic lifestyle we now so easily adopt, Radius fits all essentials for a weekend trip, whether meandering through the urban environment or the wilderness. The round volume and soft contours of the backpack appear to merge with undulating landscapes, while the graphic patterns made up of dots and ridged lines echoes the geometric appearance of urban architecture. Resembling the blue color of distant mountains and deep waters, this backpack invites you to get lost.
Video by Ola Krondahl & Music by e v o l v
At Pauline van Dongen we design and develop smart textiles and clothing in a holistic way. We believe in sharing our experiences and knowledge with others to jointly change the current fashion system that relies on unethical and unsustainable practices and causes devaluation of clothing.