Ayla Mfuko wa Mkononi (Tote Bag) by Liam Huff is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Vifaa vya Mitindo na Usafiri Competition Category.
ChumaKifaa Tanzu· 2025
Ayla Mfuko wa Mkononi (Tote Bag)
by Liam Huff
Client: Rochester Institute of Technology
Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award Winner in Kifaa Tanzu Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #167955The Design
About Ayla Mfuko wa Mkononi (Tote Bag)
Ayla ni mfuko wa ngozi wa mkononi wenye muundo wa vipande vinavyoweza kubadilishwa, ulioundwa kudumu kupitia mizunguko mingi ya matumizi ya bidhaa. Mfuko huu umeundwa kutoka kwa paneli za ngozi zinazoweza kubadilishwa, zikishikanishwa na bawaba za shaba zinazoweza kutenganishwa, hivyo hakuna ushonaji unaohitajika. Kila paneli huwekwa kati ya bawaba ya nje na sahani ya ndani, kisha hushikanishwa kwa pini na screws. Paneli iliyoharibika inaweza kubadilishwa bila kutupa mfuko mzima. Miundo iliyowekwa mapema huruhusu paneli iliyookolewa kutengenezwa upya kuwa kifuko kidogo cha mkononi (clutch). Uwezo wa kutenganisha kikamilifu husaidia ukarabati na matumizi tena mwishoni mwa maisha ya bidhaa.
The Recognition
About the Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award
Ayla Mfuko wa Mkononi (Tote Bag) ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima unaotolewa kwa miundo mizuri inayokidhi mahitaji ya kitaalamu na ya kiviwanda yanayotarajiwa kutoka kwa kazi zilizobuniwa vizuri. Washindi wa Chuma huonyesha ustadi mkubwa, utaalamu wa hali ya juu, uelewa wa kitaalamu na uwezo wa kibunifu wa waumbaji wao. Ayla Mfuko wa Mkononi (Tote Bag) inatarajiwa kuwa kazi inayothaminiwa sana, kupendwa na kuenziwa, ambayo ni ya vitendo na bunifu. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award unajumuisha mbinu bora za tasnia na una sifa za kiufundi zenye uwezo zilizounganishwa na ujuzi na kipaji. Ayla Mfuko wa Mkononi (Tote Bag) inaheshimiwa kwa uangalifu wake na imebuniwa kutoa maboresho ya ubora wa maisha yanayosaidia kuufanya ulimwengu kuwa mahali bora zaidi.
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
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