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Q1 Could you tell us about Carga? What is the brand concept?
After fruitlessly searching for a unique bag to carry my things around, I decided to assemble one for myself with some industrial felt that I had lying around in my studio, leftover from another project. Of course it didn't have a brand, and the design was very straightforward. Pretty soon people started asking me about it, and that prompted me to expand the range and take it a bit more seriously.
The concept remained: an unexpected material, an unexplored way to assemble bags. Hardware pieces, leather strap. I wanted to keep it 'brand-less', so instead of a logo I added a hand-embossed metal disc with the serial number that is unique to each bag. The name is only found inside.
Q2 Currently how many styles do you offer?
Initially the range was focused on 3 felt models - the 01/Notebook Tote, the 02/Messenger Bag and the 03/Weekend bag. |
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The 02 is the original Carga bag and our flagship model. Recently we decided to add all-leather versions of the 02 and the 03 to the range.
Q3 What is the reason to use wool felt?
I've always believed that there is something hugely appealing about felt. It is probably the fact that it looks so raw and messy, but at the same time is so soft, light and beautiful to touch. I have always had lots of felt samples lying around in my workshop including a big roll of industrial wool felt that later became the initial bags. After building my first bag, the result was a beautiful and very interesting contrast between the textures of the metal hardware pieces and the felt. I kept exploring the balance between the two elements and then added a leather strap. I also think the structure of the felt makes the bags look quite sculptural - and of course it is really practical & wears well over time. |
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Q7 How did you become a designer? Have you worked for other brands before you started your own?
My background is in architecture, and I currently practice in New York. I think there is an 'architectural' quality to Carga, not only in the choice of materials, but also in the way they are assembled - the bags are not sewn, they are 'built' with aluminum rivets and other hardware parts. |
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Except for a handmade line of limited edition anti-war t-shirts that was available exclusively at Patricia Fields in New York, this is my first array into the world of fashion.
Q8 Currently which stores carry Carga in US and Japan?
We want to keep Carga stocked in only a limited amount of stores in the key cities across the world. We don't want to have more than one store per city - or per neighbourhood in the bigger cities. In New York, you'll find Carga in Oak (Brooklyn), Takashimaya (Uptown), Still Life (Lower East Side) as well as a few other stores. Across the rest of the US, our main stores are All Purpose (Los Angeles), Haberdash (Chicago) and Marqsmen (Washington). We are also available in Canada and parts of Europe - but we're still to make it across to Japan. I visited Tokyo a couple of years ago and loved it, so we’d love to be there too! |
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Carga was founded by Mauro Bianucci, an Argentine-born New Yorker who designs out of his studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Educated at the University of Buenos Aires with a degree in Architecture, Mauro left his native country in 2000 to pursue his passion for architecture and design in one of the world's most vibrant cities: New York. Considering the impact Carga has already had on men's accessories, it is seems unbelievable that the brand was founded only a year ago.
Carga came about almost by accident. Having created a bag for himself out of industrial wool felt left over from another project, Mauro took it with him to his architectural office where a client loved it so much that he asked if one could be made for him too. The next day the same client phoned and asked for the order to be extended to two additional bags. Soon the waiting list grew with colleagues and friends all wanting their own Carga bag and the only way forward was to find a workshop which could make the bags to the quality required and at a price that was still reasonable.
As a result, each Carga bag is now handmade in batches at a small family-run workshop in Buenos Aires. Mauro believes that good design should speak for itself , and that is why the brand name is only found on the inside of the bags. Instead, each is numbered with a unique serial number. The name Carga was chosen since it means both 'to carry' and 'load' in Spanish. |
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Q4 Could you tell us about your new all leather collection?
In our original felt bags, leather was only used for the strap and the internal pocket. Then we started looking for a more 'all-year-round' material, when I came across this 150 year old leather tannery which is managed by the great-grandson of the founder. It is the only tannery left in Buenos Aires that still uses vegetable dyes rather than chemical processes. They work in very small batches and the entire process is done by hand. When I saw what they did, I got very excited and knew it was the way to go. We are really proud to be able to be working with them.
Q5 What do you emphasize most in your work? What do you think important for the ideal products?
Uniqueness and originality. I enjoy finding a new, unexplored way of making things. I love it when people on the subway stare at my bag as if they're thinking: "where the hell did that come from?" You can tell nobody has seen a bag like that before. It is such a rewarding feeling. |
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Q6 When and where do you usually get inspiration for your design?
I know it is a cliche, but it can really happen anywhere and anytime. Sometimes you just have a vague thought in your head and then suddenly you find something else made with a certain material or process that fits perfectly with the thought you had, and a proper idea is created. You just have to be open to it and allow space for it to happen, which is not always easy... |
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Q9 For the future season, what else can people expect from Carga?
Fun! Smaller items. New materials. Experimentation. Stay tuned....
Q10 Any last words for our readers?
When you have a Carga bag, please allow more transit time through airports. The security screening staff always comment on it - and they see a hell of a lot more bags than anyone else! |
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