Press Release
James Zheng Is Honored with the Bronze A' Design Award for X1 18 Inch Cabin Modular Suitcase in Fashion and Travel Accessories Design
James Zheng acknowledged for fashion and travel accessories design by the international grand jury of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2023 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that X1 18 Inch Cabin Modular Suitcase by James Zheng, designed for Pitaka, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Fashion and Travel Accessories Design category. The result belongs to the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About X1 18 Inch Cabin Modular Suitcase
More travelers are living a sustainable lifestyle, and they are doing the best they can to minimize their impact on the environment nowadays. But luggage is going against their wills. If one part of the luggage is damaged, usually there's nothing they can do about it but abandon it. The modular X1 luggage allows people to replace or repair the damaged part with provided tools, so as to reduce waste. Also, modular design means that the suitcase can be highly customized.
Award Record
James Zheng is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Fashion and Travel Accessories Design Award
The A' Accessory Design Award is an international fashion design competition recognizing good accessory designs by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to accessory designers, fashion designers, travel accessory designers and luxury goods manufacturers from all countries. Entries typically include handbags, scarves, belts, luggage, hats and travel bags. Awarded accessory designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/accessory
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/145149
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/145149
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!145149
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/337628
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/3Cgiyp5
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- X1 18 Inch Cabin Modular Suitcase
- Function
- Modular Suitcase
- Category
- Fashion and Travel Accessories Design
- Discipline
- Fashion Design
- Industry
- Fashion and Luxury
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Gray, Black and Light Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Pitaka
The Recognition
- Laureate
- James Zheng
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2022 - 2023
- Design ID
- #145149
Credits
- Team
- James ZHENG Min HUANG Senzhao LU
- Image Credits
- PITAKA
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- X1 18 Inch Cabin redefines suitcases by solving the problem that suitcases can’t be repaired and are not highly customized.The modular carbon fiber suitcase allows customers to replace or repair the damaged parts with provided tools instead of throwing the suitcase away. In addition,molecular recycling technology is applied to produce recyclable carbon fiber composite materials and circular technology to promote sustainable design so that a closed loop production system is possible.
- Inspiration
- Luggage or suitcases has become a daily accessory. But in recent years, we rarely saw any innovation in the suitcase industry. On the other hand, people’s demand for a suitcase has changed.PITAKA, a pioneer in using innovative technology and new materials, wants to provide a simple, refined, environmentally friendly, and fashionable travel solution to serve humanity as we always do.
- Research
- Some of our designers and product managers are regular business travelers. They noticed that most luggage nowadays look and work alike. And if a small part is damaged, the luggage becomes useless, which is definitely not good for the environment and doesn’t meet people’s demand for a sustainable lifestyle. So they visited some luggage factories, did tons of marketing research, and came up with modular luggage.
- Challenge
- The biggest challenge we encountered was combining different materials in the modular-structured suitcase. It’s tricky to keep the carbon fiber fabric in good shape while integrating it with the magnesium alloy frame. We spent a lot of time and effort working with other companies to develop molecular recycling technology to create recyclable carbon fiber. We had to make sure the leather cover is smooth and comfortable to touch and could stand upright. And we tried many processes to reduce the weight of the metal frame without compromising durability.
- Realization and Technology
- X1 has a hard shell made of magnesium alloy using semi-solid injection molding technology and covered by carbon fiber. It uses a vegan leather cover to secure belongings. The luggage will be assembled by hand piece by piece, like cars. And its modular structure allows for easy repair and replacement. In addition, we use molecular recycling technology to make recycled/recyclable carbon fiber composite materials and use circular technology to promote sustainable design so that a closed-loop production system is possible.
- Operation and Interaction
- X1 has separate compartments to store different items for different purposes. The interior folio can hold laptops and tablets and be removed for a quick airport security check. The magnetic leather cover allows easy access to items inside the luggage. Thus, you can easily organize or take your items from the luggage to avoid awkward moments when you travel. The 360-degree large spinner wheels and the rotatable airplane throttle-like handle ensure a smooth ride and effortless maneuverability.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project was conceptualized in 2021 and the initial product prototype was made in April 2022; it will be launched in December 2022.
- Specifications
- Dimension : L 440mm x W 245mm x H 393mm / H 1035mm（with handle stretch length） Weight : 5kg
- Keywords
- PITAKA, carbon fiber, suitcase, luggage, travel, trip, modular design, check-in, carry-on luggage, sustainability
