They’ve taken over the coat hanger. They’re balled up under the bed. Their spindly handles peek out from all the drawers in your house. It seems you’ve got a tote for every mood, outfit, and whim; one to represent every brand you’ve ever supported, every type foundry you’ve ever bought a typeface from, and every band you’ve ever loved. You’ve even got a tote filled with totes.
Business cards are very much out, and despite the fact that we’ve all got more than we ever hope to use, totes continue to remain very much in. What better way for clients to remember you, or for conference goers to promote next year’s event than a walking canvas billboard that doubles as a bag? All designers have one, and nearly all designers have made one. So how do you know which tote to choose?
In a bid to inspire tote reduction, we’ve asked a handful of designers to select their desert island tote for us. Let’s keep only our most beloved and best designed totes for the purpose they serve best—and figure out a creative way to recycle the rest.