When Eric Rothenhaus landed a lance as director of design at JanSport five years ago , he wanted to make an depression . He would do it by re - creating , down to the seat - smash strap , the very first JanSport backpack ( and the first - ever backpack with a zip fastener ) introduced in 1969 . Problem : There were no sketches , form or even any real bags uncommitted on which to model his re - creation — only a few black and lily-white pic . But that was all he needed to breathe unexampled life into one of the most iconic geekcessories of all time .
Rothenhaus studied the photographed relics with a magnify chicken feed to find out the right proportions . He trace for large alloy zip identical to those used back then . He found the right character of brave nylon . He used ( now considered extremely inefficient ) 30 - year - previous pattern construction method acting . He even hearten the original violent and clean label .
When it came time to put it all together , Rothenhaus germinate prototypes until he feel the dimensions and the design were exactly good . What he came up with was convincing , he told me . “ So much so that I fool the founder . ” He managed to lift up one of the original “ Ski and Hike ” bags , never used but build up more than 30 years prior . Looking at them side by side , Skip Yowell , one of Jansport ’s three founder , could n’t tell the deviation between the original and re - make .
It was a gallant moment for Rothenhaus . This man is a bigtime geek .
We get it , though . We ’ve been know togeek outover abagnow and again . But the interesting affair this case of geek outery is that Rothenhaus was n’t creating something with the latest cloth technology or a fancy suspension system or extra compartments for all your gadgets ( though he does that too ) . He was creating a pack from a clock time when electronic gadgets were too big to carry around with you .
Daily trust : A Mil - Spec Backpack for the terror of Mass Transit
Rothenhaus did n’t stop with that one bag . Despite raised supercilium directed his elbow room from around the party , he force to create a “ Heritage ” collection , where a flock of the sometime plan would be re - created . “ It was a huge fight , ” he say . But the note has proven to be extremely democratic . So much so that it inspired a high - conclusion “ Skip Yowell ” collection , dedicated to the founder when he retire last year . “ I wanted to make a bagful in his honor , ” Rothenhaus enunciate . The canvass and leather bag cost from $ 250 to $ 1,000 and deal out regularly . Ryan Goslinghas been blob carry them — a fashion designer ’s dream arrive true .
Until recenlty , I did n’t give care how fancy a haversack was , I imagine they were outrageous ( sorry , Eric ! ) . var. before role , I always say . Then a good friend ’s fashion - send on leather tote sent her right away to her chiropractor , and into the arms of a schematic back pack . The blackened rip - stop nylon identification number with cushiony suspension straps ( her favorite part because the thing bounces softly without jerking her shoulders , whatever ) might not be pretty , but she was n’t uncoerced to risk scoliosis in the name of a precious traveling bag .
It sprain out backpack designers are constantly struggle with subroutine versus aesthetic . In my rucksack naivite I accept aesthetics came near the bottom of the inclination of important things back pack clothes designer considered . Not true .
The North Facevice chair of product Phillip Hamilton severalize me in an email that function is their number one business organization . “ What serious is a great looking pack if it fail when it is critically needed ? Our jock and consumers bank on our packs to execute under utmost context so we progress our equipment to handle these environment for a lifetime . ” But for things like day plurality , designers will make concessions for a dash they ’ve got their hearts set on . “ We really wanted to provide prints in some nylon daypacks to countenance the consumer the choice of a more fun intention , but we can not currently impress on nylon so we declare oneself the pack in a durable printed polyester to permit for us to play with the style . ” They even address mode blogs to verify their figure are fashion forward .
So I speculate I ’m a convert . After perusing various backpack offerings I allow I can visualize myself , perhaps at a summer music fest , sporting JanSport’sWayback , in verdant green , please . I also quite likeStars and Stripes . Going retro , it seems , is the upright path to attract the fashion curing . The North Face isdoing it too . If you ’re go to wear something as definitive as a backpack , it makes sense to prefer one with an iconic , older school day design . Plus , your hands are devoid ! Which is something I wish I would have cogitate of when I tried to navigate mode weekwithout a pocketbook . Though it ’s still tough to imagine the Wayback at a Badgley Mischka runway show . Perhaps in inglorious ?
Uniformis a weekly column research the family relationship between geeks , fashion and stylish geek .
Images : JanSport
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