User Scenarios
In collaboration with the non-profit organization, Aid to Artisans, Paj Portage: The Urban Nomad examines the Hmong refugee experience when resettled in the US, and the problems that arise in this process of ‘assimilation’. This project proposes a vehicle for cultural exchange between the Hmong and their American hosts – it reflects the Hmong history of migration, and draws parallels with contemporary urban life.
The Urban Nomad collection consists of three convertible bags, all designed with the Hmong philosophy of never furnishing one’s home with anything that couldn’t be carried on one’s back. ‘The Office’ – a messenger bag that unfolds into a work-station, ‘The Closet’ – a backpack that unfolds into wall-hanging storage for your wardrobe, ‘The Toilette’ – a shoulder bag that unfolds into a 2-sided unit that hangs over the bathroom door. One side holds toiletries, and the other, towels and a change of clothing.
The textile designs of the bags’ interiors are derived from traditional Hmong needlecraft, used to depict their history of migration. By adapting their iconography, they become universal symbols for translocation.
The Office
More pictures after the Jump.
The Closet
The Toilette
Deborah Tan, graduated from Parsons last year, and has been living and working in NY. The Urban Nomad bag project was developed as part of her senior thesis, with the theme ‘A Good Life - design for social change’.
