Ayla 토트백 by Liam Huff is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award 철상 in 패션 및 여행 액세서리 디자인 Competition Category.

철액세서리· 2025

Ayla 토트백

by Liam Huff

Client: Rochester Institute of Technology

A' Design Award 철상 Winner in 액세서리 Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Ayla 토트백

아일라(Ayla)는 여러 번의 제품 수명 주기를 견딜 수 있도록 설계된 모듈형 가죽 토트백입니다. 이 가방은 교체 가능한 가죽 패널을 분리형 황동 힌지로 연결해 제작되었기 때문에 바느질이 전혀 필요하지 않습니다. 각 패널은 바깥쪽 힌지와 안쪽 플레이트 사이에 놓인 뒤 핀과 나사로 고정됩니다. 손상된 패널은 가방 전체를 버리지 않고도 교체할 수 있습니다. 미리 설계된 패턴 덕분에 회수한 패널을 더 작은 클러치로 재제작할 수 있습니다. 완전한 분해가 가능해 수명이 다한 후에도 수리와 재사용이 용이합니다.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 철상

Ayla 토트백, 이 작품은 A' Design Award 철상 수상작으로, 잘 디자인된 창작물에 기대되는 전문적·산업적 요건을 충족하는 좋은 디자인에 수여되는 권위 있는 인정입니다. 철상 수상작은 창작자의 뛰어난 기술, 높은 전문성, 전문가다운 이해, 창의적 역량을 보여 줍니다. Ayla 토트백, 이 작품은 높이 평가받고 감탄과 사랑을 받는 창작물로서 실용적이고 혁신적일 것으로 기대됩니다. 이 철상 수상 디자인은 업계 모범 사례를 통합하며 노하우와 재능으로 연결된 유능한 기술적 특성을 갖추고 있습니다. Ayla 토트백, 이 작품은 철저함으로 존중받으며 삶의 질을 개선하여 세상을 더 나은 곳으로 만들도록 디자인되었습니다.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Modular and transformable leather panels along with detachable hinges allow Ayla to last multiple product life cycles. The detachable hinge facilitates ease of repair when the product gets damaged. Simply undo the hinge and replace the damaged leather panel, eliminating the need to throw away the entire product. The ability to fully disassemble the product allows for an environmentally friendly end-of-life with the ability to either repair or transform old leather panels into new products.
Dimensions & Packaging: 460 mm x 100 mm x 330 mm
Tags: Bag, Leather, Sustainable, Hardware, Interchangeable, Replaceable, Tote, Modular Panels, Transformable
Production Technology: Experimenting with multiple 3D printed components, I focused on exploring ways to attach leather panels without the use of stitching. I landed on a pin system. Leather panels are sandwiched between an outer hinge and an inner plate. The panels are secured atop the pins and then anchored with a series of screws. With these hinges, everything from the handle, to the main body, to the interior can be replaced. Final hinges were made of polished brass to ensure longevity with extended ware.
Design Challenge: The hardest part of this project was finding the perfect intersection of functionality/sustainability and desired look. I determined through my research that my target audience wanted a product that had sustainable attributes but looked no different from a traditional bag. I could achieve the desired function but not in an aesthetic that was appealing to my audience. Through many rounds of prototypes and interviews, I came to a final mechanism that satisfied both ends.
Research: I started with database research to determine opportunities to reduce waste. I interviewed 4 professionals in the fashion accessories industry. I used these two methods to inform my hinge mechanism. For product look and feel, I used a survey to determine bag silhouette, mood boards to determine detail and target audience, triading to determine desired look, narrative scenarios to determine how the bag would be used, and user interviews to ultimately hone in on a final design direction.
Inspiration: Leather is one of the most polluting sectors within fashion. Most leather products contribute to the idea of take-make-waste. Reducing environmental impact is not as simple as switching to a leather alternative. Almost all alternatives are polymer based and cannot match traditional leather's longevity. If farmed regeneratively, used as meat industry byproduct, and, if able to be used multiple times, leather can be sustainable. Ayla explores how we can use leather to its maximum potential.
Project Duration: Started in August of 2023 at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, USA. and finished in May of 2024 in Rochester, New York, USA.
Operation Flow: The detachable nature of the metal hinge allows for components within the product to be interchanged when damage occurs. If one side of the product gets damaged, simply replace that panel, not the entire item; this reduces wastage. Additionally, the main leather panels were designed to be turned into a different, smaller product if only one panel can be salvaged. Predetermined patterns ensure that one panel can be turned into a smaller clutch, further reducing the waste of the item.
Image Credits: Image #1 : Photographer Elizabeth Lemark, AYLA_1_3600.jpg, 2024.
Image #2 : Photographer Chelsea Cohen, AYLA_MAIN_1800.jpg, 2024.
Image #3 : Photographer Chelsea Cohen, AYLA_2.jpg, 2024.
Image #4 : Photographer Elizabeth Lemark, AYLA_3.jpg, 2024.
Image #5 : Photographer, Sneha Yalgi, AYLA_5.jpg, 2024