BEHIND THE INCEPTION OF VIVIAN
“We have to make room for other people. It’s a wheel – you get on, you go to the end, and someone else has the same opportunity to go to the end, and so on, and somebody else takes their place. There’s nothing new under the sun.”
Our second objet in Volume 1 is for an elusive and humble genius whose stories have transcended time - VivIan Maier. A nanny who became one of the greatest photographers of a generation, whose talent was unrecognised and hidden at her time. We were instantly attracted to Vivan due to her ability to tell stories in a single shot of everyday moments.
Someone who captures the emotion of the city without being seen. Who is prepared for everything. Who represents humanity with honesty and integrity.
Image right: Self-Portrait, Undated, Estate of Vivian Maier,
We began our design process with a challenge. How do we bring the subtly of Vivan’s story to life whilst creating an elegant icon that evoked practicality? We leant on a bucket bag aesthetic.
We did this as it enabled the freedom of travel, the versatility to carry multiple objets and the ease to access any item, most certainly a camera with pace to capture everyday moments in a second. Access is key to Vivian, and we implemented a secure yet simple fold over fastening to ensure security and simple access to inside compartments.
Practicality is at the heart of Vivian. An inside floating pocket creates freedom of space and storage, enabling valuables to be contained, yet not disturb the wider space inside the main bag compartment.
Colour was also important. We, chose ivory calfskin leather - sophisticated yet balanced, a colour that transcends moments to fit seamlessly with life.
Image right: Location and date unknown, Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York
