Ayla थैला by Liam Huff is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award लौहपुरस्कारः in परिधान एवं यात्रा उपसाधन अभिकल्पना Competition Category.

लौहम्उपसाधनम्· 2025

Ayla थैला

by Liam Huff

Client: Rochester Institute of Technology

A' Design Award लौहपुरस्कारः Winner in उपसाधनम् Category

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Colors

The Design

About Ayla थैला

आयला इति एकं प्रावृतिकं (मॉड्यूलर) चर्मथैलं (टोट-बैग) यत् बहुषु उत्पादजीवनचक्रेषु स्थायित्वेन उपयुज्यते इति उद्दिश्य निर्मितम्। एतत् थैलं परिवर्तनीयैः चर्मफलकैः निर्मितम्, ये पृथक्करणीयैः पित्तलनिबन्धनैः (ब्रास-हिंज) परस्परं संयोजिताः सन्ति, अतः सीवनस्य (सिलाई) आवश्यकता न भवति। प्रत्येकं फलकं बाह्यनिबन्धनस्य अन्तः-पट्टिकायाश्च मध्ये स्थाप्यते, ततः शलाकाभिः (पिन्स) स्क्रूभिश्च दृढीक्रियते। यदि कश्चन फलकः क्षतिग्रस्तः भवति, तर्हि सम्पूर्णं थैलं त्यक्त्वा केवलं तं फलकं परिवर्तयितुं शक्यते। पूर्वनिर्धारितैः रचनाप्रकारैः (पैटर्न्स) उद्धृतं फलकं लघुतरं क्लच्-थैलं (हस्तधार्यं लघुथैलं) रूपेण पुनर्निर्मातुं शक्यते। सम्पूर्णं विघटनं जीवनान्तिककाले मरम्मतं पुनरुपयोगं च समर्थयति।

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award लौहपुरस्कारः

Ayla थैला A' Design Award लौहपुरस्कारस्य विजेता अस्ति; इदं प्रतिष्ठितं मान्यताप्रदानं तेभ्य उत्तमेभ्योऽभिकल्पेभ्यो दीयते ये सुनिर्मितेभ्यः सृष्टिभ्योऽपेक्षिताः व्यावसायिकीः औद्योगिकीश्चावश्यकताः पूरयन्ति। लौहविजेतारः स्वनिर्मातॄणां महत् कौशलम्, उच्चां विशेषज्ञताम्, विशेषज्ञोचितां बोधशक्तिं सृजनसामर्थ्यं च प्रदर्शयन्ति। Ayla थैला अत्यन्तं मूल्यवती प्रशंसिता प्रिया च सृष्टिर्व्यावहारिका नवोन्मेषयुक्ता च भविष्यतीति प्रत्याशा क्रियते। A' Design Award लौहपुरस्कारं जितवद् एतद् अभिकल्पकार्यम् उद्योगस्य श्रेष्ठतमाः पद्धतीः समन्वयति ज्ञानेन प्रतिभया च संयुक्तानि सक्षमप्राविधिकलक्षणानि च धारयति। Ayla थैला स्वसूक्ष्मसमीक्षायाः कारणाद् आद्रियते जीवनस्तरसुधारम् अर्पयितुं च निर्मितम् अस्ति, यद् विश्वम् उत्तमतरं स्थानं कर्तुं साहाय्यं करोति।

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