When we go on the hunt for bags, most of the time, we only find designs that have already been decided right from the start. Most often, they also come in a single piece, though some larger travel bags can split into different parts of different sizes.
This practice of having fixed designs is more for practical purposes and efficiency since it’s easier to mass-produce objects with simpler designs. Very few bags allow you to personalize them aside from sticking pins or hanging accessories, but nothing that lets you change colors or even parts easily.
This rather odd-looking handbag, however, tries to take the path less traveled to offer people some freedom to change the way the bag looks or even functions while still looking stylish and elegant regardless of the combination.
The Flatfish Bag, sometimes known as the Ping-Pong Bag, is as strange as its name. While most bags are rectangular in shape to accommodate more stuff, this design concept is nearly a complete circle. Its unusual form is reminiscent of a ping-pong or table tennis racket, or, alternately, a flatfish, thus the name. Although the extruded border at the top contributes nothing to increase space efficiency, it is a required departure to make the bag simpler to use.
More than its distinct shape, the Flatfish Bag is distinguished by its modularity. While it appears to be a single piece of accessory, it is really made up of four independent sections. Each face of the bag is a distinct piece connected solely by a single zipper. There’s also a removable handle and a shoulder strap that can be connected or removed according on your needs or mood.
The concept is that you may freely mix and match different designs for the two sides, assuming there are plenty to choose from. The sole prerequisite is that you have two sides that are compatible; that is, one side will have the zipper head and the other will not. In most cases, you’ll already have a complete pair for each design, so it’s only a matter of combining the proper halves.
Modular bags aren’t technically new, but those suited for casual or formal use are uncommon. It’s challenging to pull off such a versatile design that also appears smart and classy. Bag designers must perform a delicate balancing act, which is why many choose to err on the side of simplicity. Of course, the Flatfish Bag makes sense only if different versions of the design are available. Otherwise, a modular backpack like this will fall flat on its face, no pun intended.
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