Art & Craft

Bags are designed and constructed to be functional, through collaboration we have pushed through the usual confinements faced by makers, elevating craft into art. Instead of the necessity to design work for commercial purpose, these unique pieces  honor hand-making, the slow movement and skill-based design.

Containment

Design, craft and creativity are at their most exciting when they play across
generational and disciplinary boundaries. For CONTAINMENT, Emily Mahy collaborates with four notable design practitioners to celebrate and reimagine the work of her late father, the extraordinary glass artist Keith Mahy.

Each collaborator has drawn inspiration from a piece of Keith’s
pioneering glass art, then worked with Emily to design and craft three utterly unique, sculptural objects that push the boundaries of what a fashion-focused, functional bag can be.

MAHY + WENDY NANNESTAD + MEG MAHY

LARGE SHARD BAG

Industrial designer Wendy combined her traditional design sensibilities with craft skills to form the shape of the bag and craft the macrame strap. Ceramicist and Keith's granddaughter, Meg brought the block shards to life by forming them with clay and glazing techniques.

MAHY + KATIE SMITH

FLAT PAINTED BAG

Textile designer Katie used translucent, water-based ink and multiple textile art techniques to paint and layer batches of colours onto canvas to represent the swirling tropical feeling of the glass vase. This was combined with woven leather handles and leather embellishments and shaped into the style of a pacific island woven bag.

MAHY + JODIE WILSON

MEDIUM SHARD BOWL BAG

Jodie combines traditional weaving techniques with contemporary fibres and colour combinations to interpret the shard bowl. Jodie's woven creation was combined with a woven leather backing and shaped into a barrel bag to represent a traditional eel catcher, which was evoked from the underwater quality of the glass bowl.

Reformed Collaboration

Surplus MAHY leather was reformed into unique limited edition and one-off bags in the Janis and Nina crossbody styles.  Small strips of leather are used in patchwork
type patterns, and textured tactile crafting is used to celebrate handmaking, slow fashion and sustainable skill-based design.

MAHY + EVIE KEMP

ALL THE COLOURS BAG

The REFORMED collection also included a collaboration with
the wonderful maker and creator Evie Kemp. Across art, design, and interiors Evie creates visual symphonies, and immersive, joy-filled, creative experiences.
Evie brought her colour and joyful energy to limited edition Janis and Nina bags.