Old2New, or O2N, is an upcycled denim tote bag. Each bag is made from one pair of thrifted jeans. Before constructing the bag, I waxed the denim to improve the finish of the denim. I also added a hand carved, block-printed pattern to the side panels of each bag. The O2N tote can be used to carry any of your everyday items. It is large enough to use as a grocery bag or to tote your project supplies to studio. The bag is flexible and can easily be folded up to store when it is not in use.
I was tasked with designing and producing a product in a quantity of ten. I knew I wanted to design a soft product, and I knew that I wanted it to relate to sustainability and the environment, because that is an area of design that I am interested in and want to explore further. I started ideating different soft goods that could be created from upcycled fabrics.
I decided to pursue the tote/grocery bag concept. I ideated further to decide what both the bag and block printed pattern would look like. I explored where the printed pattern and seam lines could be placed as well as how detailed the printed pattern should be.
After choosing a concept, I went to a thrift store to explore the fabrics I could get in large enough quantities to continue to produce my product. i found some corduroy and canvas options, but decided denim was the material I would be able to source most reliably.
I also chose the pattern I wanted to print on my bag, and carved it into a linoleum block to test printing it. The pattern I chose was made with honeycomb shapes, meant to reference Georgia Tech.
Next, I decided the dimensions of the bag. I tested sizes with muslin prototypes. The first prototype was too small, so I changed the dimensions and made another prototype. I chose the dimensions of 16"x12"x8".
Based on the final dimensions I wanted, I created the pattern by dividing the overall shape into panels that could be cut out of denim pant legs and sewn together to create the final form. I tested the pattern by creating the light-wash denim prototype seen below. Then, I created the dark-wash prototype and added straps, an internal pocket, and the block-printed pattern. This was the prototype that the final tote bags were created from.
After finalizing the pattern and prototyping, I began producing the Old2New tote bags. I created them with varying dark-wash denims - black and navy. I also created a mock-up for the packaging of the bags.
