The Modern House & Folk create a city bag of functional beauty, made in England from deadstock fabric
We’ve teamed up with one of our favourite outfitters, Folk, to create a limited-edition city bag that embodies our shared values of good, simple design, functional beauty and quality, responsible craftsmanship. Available to buy now.
Folk was founded by Cathal McAteer in 2001 and has since made real its ambition to offer wearable staples that are detail-driven and made from quality materials. We’ve long admired their design approach, which stitches together subtlety and playfulness in just the way we like: a boxy jacket with an oversized front pocket, or a relaxed-fitting jumper with embroidery detailing inspired by the work of Anni Albers is exactly the right blend of classic and contemporary we’re in to.
As the Anni Albers jumper hints at, wider culture references have always been embedded into Folk’s vision, with Cathal seeking to look beyond the world of fashion to furniture, design, architecture and art as sources of inspiration. A recent campaign, ‘More Connection’, explored the intersection of architecture and modern life: “It was a visual idea that started at the sketching stage of the new collection, with Sarah Morris’ wonderful artwork inspiration. It then took on a more spiritual meaning with the challenges of 2020 and ideas of healthy and sustainable ways of living. Shooting the campaign at Hooke Park (The Architectural Association’s woodland campus) embodied that ideal harmony of design and nature,” he says.
It’s through a shared interest in how design can support and enhance modern life that we first connected with Folk. The idea to create a useable but smart bag arose shortly afterwards and we set out to design something that felt of-the-moment but classic too.
Applying the care and attention of an artisan maker, Folk have worked with a Somerset leather factory to craft a small batch of the bags, and used deadstock fabrics in its production. Designed to be carried or worn over the shoulder, the bag neatly accommodates the essentials of the modern city dweller. Our team are looking forward to taking the bag out to meetings, scoping out some of the UK’s most impressive homes (where the bag fits right in, naturally),
“Simplicity in design, sustainable in fabrication, Somerset in manufacture – what’s not to love?! We are so happy to create something useful and good looking for our friends at The Modern House,” says Cathal.
“We’ve really enjoyed collaborating with the good folks from Folk on a project that’s about supporting British craftsmanship, timeless detailing, truth to materials and respect for the environment. It’s difficult to do the simple things well, and this versatile tote treads a careful line between being smart enough for a meeting and discreet enough for the night bus,” says The Modern House co-founder Matt Gibberd.
We are happy to now offer these limited-run city bags for sale via Folk or The Modern House websites. Available in any colour, so long as it’s black.
