From totes to handbags and vintage options, these creatives choose work bags that combine form and function.
Meeting the many demands of the workday requires keen preparation. There’s one practical accessory that can offer support for a busy routine – a robust work bag.
The requirements of a carryall largely
There’s another utilitarian need of a good workbag – versatility. If you’re reaching for the same bag every day, it should be one you love to wear. Maybe that joy comes through customisation, with a playful colour choice or the addition of pins or charms.
Below, five creatives and entrepreneurs share their picks for an everyday work bag that helps them get things done.
Sue Waymouth, Aotearoa Art Fair director
In her role as the director of the Aotearoa Art Fair, Sue regularly attends gallery openings and travels to meet gallerists and artists to hear the stories behind the artworks (while adding pieces she loves to her own art collections). Sue’s everyday bag is an apt and artistic pick.
What is your work bag?
My favourite work bag is by the artist Vita Cochran. It is the perfect size and fits everything I need in a day, plus it makes me smile with its slightly crazy style. It is also a good talking point when I am visiting galleries or art fairs overseas. Anna Miles Gallery introduced me to Vita’s work and I have been coveting one of her bags for some time. When Vita made a selection of bags in support of the not-for-profit gallery Objectspace, I grabbed the chance to buy one. I wasn’t sure that the green would go with everything, but it is surprising how much it goes with.
What essentials do you carry during your work week to ensure you’re prepared for each day?
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Advertise with NZME.I am obsessed with stationery and art, so I always have an arty notebook, a pen, my moleskin diary and an artistic plastic sleeve to hold all the essential documents I need. At the moment, I have one from the art nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha from the recent exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. I love Passion for Paper in Parnell, Auckland and buy notebooks and nice stationery through them. Plus, of course, I need essentials like my iPhone and iPad, Mecca lip gloss, Ellis Faas skin veil foundation and Emma Lewisham serum. I usually also have a snack and a packet of chewing gum!
What is the most rewarding part of your work at the moment?
I recently met the Australian artist Patricia Piccinini, an internationally recognised artist, at Gow Langsford Gallery. After listening to Patricia talk about her work, you can’t help but fall in love with her monstrous but loveable creatures. I also met the artist Claudia Kogachi at Season Gallery for the first time recently, and the paintings took on a whole new meaning when she explained the stories behind them and the beautifully handcrafted frames made by her partner. It has become an occupational hazard as I am constantly exposed to great art!
Jerome Warburton, artist and photographer
As a photographer, Jerome balances shoots, editing, travel days and meetings over coffee. To assist in this ever-changing routine Jerome opts for a sturdy vintage option (even lugging it as a carry-on when travelling for work).
What is your work bag?
I’ve had this bag for around three years. I bought it second-hand in a camera store. It’s a vintage Tamrac, from the ‘80s or ‘90s – a classic camera bag with all the compartments you need. The front zip pockets [hold] little tools, batteries, and the central compartments are for cameras and lenses. It even came with a detachable black-out bag specific for storing film.
How does it function during your work days?
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Advertise with NZME.I go with two film cameras inside – both Pentaxs – and plenty of film rolls. Depending on the job, [I could take] a digital camera and some other tools. On shoot days it’s there to transport the cameras. Once they’re out, the bag sits on the sideline but it’s a good one to move about with on location.
What are the most rewarding aspects of your job?
The most rewarding parts of the job are the people – authentic human connection and collaboration. Secondly, it’s the creative process, shooting and being in a flow state during the action of it. Lastly is forging an artistic identity. I think these things begin to happen pretty early on in life but it’s interesting to see them develop over a long period.
Amanda Jane Robinson, film-maker and producer
Amanda is a director and producer for Vetiver Pictures and a junior programmer for Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival. As Amanda’s work varies from day to day (think meetings, attending auditions, location scouting, set work and production offices), the professional reaches for a versatile simple tote.
What is your work bag?
I have a couple of bags I switch out depending on the work day, but my staple is a Klay cotton tote bag in a beautiful indigo blue which I bought second-hand a few years back. I have a bad habit of just popping my bag on the floor, so I love that I can just throw this one in the wash when it needs it. I really thrash it and it still holds up.
Shoot days are long and my bag can get heavy, but the Klay tote has these long handles so it sits nicely when you carry it on the shoulder. It also has interior pockets and a cut, which makes for seemingly endless space – sometimes I even manage to stuff a rain jacket in there. It’s utilitarian yet still beautiful, my favourite combination.
What essentials do you carry during your work week to ensure you’re prepared for each day?
On meeting or office-based days it holds my laptop, keys, purse, sunglasses, water bottle, mints, Maryse lip tint, Ingrid Starnes roll-on perfume and a book – and an umbrella if the conditions call for it.
If I’m heading to set my bag is packed with all of the above, plus eye drops, lip balm, my beloved Mason Pearson hairbrush, a spare pair of contact lenses, my 35mm camera for on-set snapshots and whatever paperwork I need that day – sign-in sheets, talent agreements, location contracts, you name it.
Courtney Joe, stylist
Courtney, a stylist, writer and brand consultant, prefers practicality for big days on set.
What is your work bag?
IKEA’s beloved Fraka bag is the Mary Poppins carpet bag carry-all of the styling world. There is, of course, the huge expectation for stylists to be the most stylish on set, but for me, practicality takes precedence and this bright blue bag never fails me.
What essentials do you carry during your work week to ensure you’re prepared for each day?
There’s only so much organisation I can do before a day on the toolssends it all awry – inside my bag you’ll find my toolbox, tool belt and various ripstop zip-ups of everything imaginable (from bulldog clips and lint rollers to various slips and undergarments). A strong, carryall tote like this is really essential when it comes to packing in and out of a day on set (ie. throw it all in and go!).
How does this bag engage with the rest of your wardrobe?
This throw-on-and-go mentality applies to my wardrobe too. Anything that’s hardwearing, can withstand the strain of bags (I’ll often have a Fraka bag slung over each shoulder), and allows for ease of movement is what I reach for – canvas chore or army jackets and relaxed yet hardworking denim and the more pockets, the better.
Elle Föenander
Elle is the founder of Föenander Galleries, a contemporary art gallery based in Parnell. She carries a luxurious bag for her artistically-focused rounds.
What is your work bag?
The bag I reach for daily is the Louis Vuitton Neverfull. True to its name, it can hold not just one but two laptops, a hammer and a measuring tape – and there’s still room for more.
What essentials do you carry during your work week to ensure you’re prepared for each day?
My essential items are those aforementioned, plus a bottle of multivitamins and chocolate – for the sake of balance.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The creative sector offers many rewarding moments. My highlights are when the artists we work with have had a positive experience with the gallery, and the ongoing joy of watching viewers connect with an artwork on both an intellectual and emotional level.
Danni Bishara
Danni, a photographer known for fashion and maternity shoots, balances time between parenting and photo sets. The creative opts for a backpack to get things done.
What is your work bag?
I have a couple of work bags – but my main and favourite one is my camera backpack that holds my rather heavy medium-format camera. I have had it for about two years. In the main part, you can move the dividers around to hold a camera. I love knowing my big old film camera is always secure! It also has three additional pockets that hold my used and unused film rolls!
What does an average day in your work look like?
My days differ from being an at-home mama some days and shooting other days. Those days consist of shooting on location and then zooming to the film shop to get the rolls in as soon as possible. Then, if I have time, I export all the digitals and get them organised before waiting patiently for the film rolls to come through a day or so later. Then I edit those and send them off.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
The most rewarding part of my work is sending off the final shots and hearing the client’s responses! It’s so cool to make someone’s day.
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