THE JOURNAL
The hyper-durable (and super stylish) bag to buy now, courtesy of the revered accessories brand.
The good thing about backpacks: they’re eminently portable. The bad thing: they’re not indestructible. This is the eternal challenge faced by revered accessories brand Eastpak, which since 1952 has been designing its bags to be as tough as possible. In the brand’s history, it’s made several strides in this respect, supplying backpacks to the US Army in the 1950s, and, in the mid-1980s, issuing a 30-year guarantee for all its products. But for AW17, Eastpak has arguably risen to new heights in the pursuit of refined design and durability. We’re talking, here, about the Welded Lab collection, a range of new, superbly streamlined products that owe their seamless design to an innovative construction process – welded seams that are fused together at 150ºC.
In the standout piece of the collection, the Padded Pak’r®, this technique has resulted in a radical overhaul of the classic Eastpak backpack design, with a smooth, shell-like exterior, fully integrated flat front pocket and fused shoulder straps. The all-important zippers also feature welded seams, meaning they are not only water repellent, but are far less likely to fray than your traditional variety. Add to that a 13in pocket for your laptop (and a padded back to protect it from your bony shoulders) and you have a bag that will take everything your daily commute can throw at it, and more.