IMAGE: SACAI

If traditional bags bore you, and by traditional I mean the standard cookie-cutter styles every other brand now seems to have because it’s the easiest thing to sell on the shop floor these days, then I’ve got something new to share with you. And if you’re into the quirky and the whimsical, even better, especially if you’re already a fan of Japanese label Sacai.

In collaboration with British designer Katie Hillier, designer Chitose Abe intended her first bag collection to be playful yet modern, a natural extension of her RTW line if you will. The end result? 6 distinct bags that are juxtapositions of various styles in proportions that seem odd at first, but also bags that you warm up quickly to, especially if you get the humour behind each piece.

IMAGE: SACAI

From a pair of kiss-lock coin purses ‘joined’ onto a duffle (above left), to the classic horseshoe coin pouch ‘blown up’ to become a full-sized shoulder bag (above right), it’s definitely not cookie-cutter if you know what I mean, especially with the addition of multiple slings (some in leather, others in metal hardware) that gives you endless combinations when it comes to wearing the bags.

IMAGE: SACAI

Prices are pretty reasonable too, starting from just SGD1490 all the way to SGD3190, each bag a visual delight of mixed materials ranging from the humblest of fabric canvas to the most exotic of skins in croc and mink. Yes, there are leather bags too, but they are all retailing around the SGD2000 or less range, which is affordable too, if you ask me.

But don’t take my word for it. Just head down to Sacai by Club 21 at Four Seasons Hotel stat to check them out for yourself, and while you’re there, don’t forget to play with the piece that amused me the most, a remake of the classic tote in woven raffia and leather that looks like a cross between a bicycle bag and a picnic basket.

Images: Sacai