What started initially as a university collaboration, turned into a step forward in the Industrial Design pathway. Initially, it was about learning from those in the softgoods industry, these opportunities led to working closely with the ALPAKA team in Docklands. I first heard about ALPAKA through Ben, the teacher of Carrigami, a first-year industrial design subject who focused on bags. You can see the end-of-semester project here. Ben spoke highly of ALPAKA and mentioned he was planning to get their support for the class. 
 
Ben organised for us to meet the ALPAKA team at their new office space in Docklands. We gathered outside the building and went up in little groups, limited by the lift capacity. The office they took us to was the size of a large boardroom, with great views of some of the buildings in Docklands, occasionally revealing glimpses of the docks. Justin began telling us about the brand's backstory. They saw a gap in the market for sustainable EDC bags with all their desired features. This led to the creation of the 7even. They launched it by raising capital through Kickstarter, a method they have continued to use. They scaled this into a successful online retailer with their factory in China, where a large amount of the prototyping and manufacturing process occurs.

After discussing the company's history, they provided us with various materials, an extensive selection of hardware, and valuable insights into designing a bag. I truly appreciate this opportunity to work with such a high-quality bag company. One moment that stood out to me, was while creating a 1:1 prototype of my design using scrap fabric. While the shape was right, the material was too delicate, so the bag lacked the structural rigidity I'd expected. I then moved on to the final prototype using Axoflux, an in-house recycled plastic ALPAKA material. When assembling the outer parts, it held its shape perfectly, transforming my design from a flimsy sack to a high-quality representation of the design. 

When we presented our bags at the end of the semester, there was some pressure due to key figures from ALPAKA being present to provide feedback. They were part of a panel that also included Ben Wood, one of the founders of a newly established bag company, WIPWRK, Gelo, an EDC product enthusiast, and some standout students from the previous semester. 

This wasn't the last time I saw them. At a new product launch for WIPWRK, I ran into an ALPAKA general manager, Justin, Ben, and Gelo.  We spoke briefly about how my bag was holding up - still a functioning prototype, though there were a few issues that required me to rethink the construction for the V2. Through this conversation, Ben arranged for me to join the second-semester class to collect more materials.

I met up with the second-semester class to get some material, but this time, they had us come to their new store in Docklands. The store was modern, with custom, in-house designed furnishings. The exterior was black, standing out from the other stores in Docklands, and the back wall matched the matte black theme, separating the stock area from the front. It was a spacious store with two symmetrical brushed steel shelving units on either side. In the center were two brushed steel display cabinets, with three tiers of drawers, topped with a glass sheet allowing a clear view into the top drawer. Overall, the store exuded high quality. They had the materials and hardware displayed on the center cabinets. I modestly grabbed just the essentials for the V2. 

Once again, this wasn't the end of my collaboration with Alpaka. Ben invited me to join the second semester of bags panel. It was a fantastic opportunity to talk to Justin and Tad, another Alpaka team member. They spoke about the future of Alpaka, offering incredible transparency.

Now, with the 2024 Carrigami assignments completed, Alpaka offered to host a final exhibition in their brand-new store. The store was the perfect venue for this. There was ample space for display, while still accommodating a large group of people - a great community space. The night was lively, and it provided a great chance to network with other students, as well as professionals in the bag design field.

I thought this might be the last time I collaborated with Alpaka until Ben, who now worked at the retail store, asked me if I would be interested in a potential job there. I was thrilled with this opportunity. I went from knowing very little about Alpaka to a fan, and now, an employee, all in just a few months. 

I just finished my first week of work, and I'm loving it. I work closely with the sales of their incredibly well-constructed, high-quality products. They were kind enough to give me some free products to try out, and without a doubt, they're the best bags I've ever used - from the smooth zippers, which have had zero issues, to the incredibly thoughtful internal organisation.

This feels like the start of something great, and I'm so fortunate to be here to see it unfold. 

Thank you, Ben, Gelo, and Justin.