GEAR JUNKIE DEFY BAGS

By STEPHEN REGENOLD

Last update: September 13, 2009 - 11:02 AM

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GEAR JUNKIE DEFY BAGS

Art on the go

Where do old billboards go when they die? Defy Bags answers that question with its hand-stitched messenger bags: The company takes old vinyl billboard material and uses it as the base fabric for a line of unique "upcycled" urban bags.

Each bag is made in Chicago, where sewers use layers of vinyl to create stout, one-of-a-kind bags in three sizes. A flatbed printer finishes the job by inking each bag with a custom motif.

I tried the Medium Messenger model, which measures about 13.5 by 15 inches. It costs $120 and is comfortable for walking. But it is not a performance product. Its strap pad is small, and the vinyl fabric is so slick that the bag slides around on your back when biking.

As a casual product -- and a stand-out piece of portable art -- Defy has a neat idea. If you're looking for an everyday commuter bag, I would search other companies that stress function first, then form.

STEPHEN REGENOLD

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