Nik Bentel Studio’s Expressive Handbags - The Mixer and Speaker Bag
Founded in 2017 by Nicholas Bentel, Nik Bentel Studios is an art collective dedicated to talking about the shared human experience we all go through. May it be the files on a computer desktop to the dinner bag with a built in holder for a whole dining set. The six person design studio plays with memes and jokes from internet culture. Exploring nostalgia and humor, Nik Bentel Studios encourages people to share their creations with others online to foster a community of people “who just get it”.
The bag has always been the accessory to any outfit, from the iconic distressed and used Birkin of Mary Kate Olsen, to the choke hold of the Trader Joes Tote bag. The bag has always been a staple of expression as it is able to hold everything you need and want. It’s the best way to reflect your personality, taste and identity. But what if a group was making the bag the statement piece. Let us introduce you to Nik Bentel Studios' most interesting and expressive bags.
No better can Nik Bentel Studios show their styles of bags than “The Speaker Bag” and “The Mixer Bag”. The bag is a hoop design with inspiration from the Gucci Jackie 1961. “The Speaker Bag” is made with a clouded white acrylic plastic, which is divided into two parts. One half of the bag is able to hold the essentials while the other half is dedicated to the speaker itself. The speaker is built directly into the bag with options to change its mode and yet has no volume display on the bag. The bag is a reference to those experiences on being on the train or bus, where someone blasts their songs from their portable speaker so everyone can enjoy their “great taste in music”. “The Speaker Bag” is asking its user to welcome that experience and be part of it, as well as invite you to blast your music to anyone in the morning.
On the other hand “The Mixer Bag” is for those who crave control in their life. “The Mixer Bag” has a near identical design to “The Speaker Bag” with the main changes being a matte black finish and its mixing gear instead of a speaker. The bag has all the suitable ports for any basic mixer options, inputs and outputs. The bag screams for those to take control of their music in both a literal and figurative sense. The bag’s design is here to start a conversation on how we express our music to people. The bags are as much about its appearance as it is its sound.
From furniture to fashion Nik Bental Studios is pushing the boundaries on what an art piece should be. They want to start more than just a conversation. They want us to talk and relate to one another and how we can experience the same mundane parts of everyday life.
Written by Niall Carey (@Niall.030)
Edited by Alex Kelleher (@alex_kelleher_)
