After 100 Bowls Of Penne During Lockdown, Designer Cooks Up Pasta Crossbody Bag
Image via Nikolas Bentel
As cities begin to gradually open up in a tentatively post-pandemic society, we look back on the past adversity with relative fondness, or perhaps good riddance. Designer Nik Bentel has decided to take it one step further and immortalize this.
The sight of a box of pasta has been an integral snippet of the lockdown memories of many. According to the press release, Bentel’s idea stemmed from his “staring at a box of pasta during the pandemic,” as he cooked the “100th bowl of penne pasta.”
So why not turn it into more of a part of daily life than it ever has been before? And thus, The Pasta Bag was born.
This “irreverent take on the past year of staying inside” comes in the form of a crossbody bag, held up by a luxurious gold chain. It bears the trademark branding of an instantly recognizable box of Barilla pasta, but don’t worry—it’s not made of cardboard. It’s been constructed from leather, and the designs on its surface were printed using UV technology.
The statement reminds us that despite its loud branding and eye-catching logo, this product is “in no way affiliated with Barilla.”
Image via Nikolas Bentel
Bentel’s aim was to use something “mundane” that we had “lying around during the pandemic” and rework the boring into something “a little more thrilling for our post pandemic world.”
His works are described as often humorous and satirical, and this bag offering unspoken commentary on what now feels like a collective lockdown memory is no different. It comes as part of a storytelling series, where products are planned to be released every few weeks.
A limited-edition run of the bag was released on August 11, and unfortunately no more will be made after the first run. The 100 units were snapped up and sold out despite its price of US$199, more than you’d pay for a box of pasta.
But given its backstory, inspiration and tactile appearance, it’s pretty safe to say that it’s more than just a box of pasta.
Image via Nikolas Bentel
Image via Nikolas Bentel
[via Today, images via via Nikolas Bentel]
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