A bucket bag is a relatively old invention with the first of these sturdy, cylindrically shaped devices being marketed as alternatives to the common holding purse in the 1940s by leather companies such as Hermès. Conveniently enough, a bucket bag can hold a great deal of items and because of its sturdy bottom, open and close without losing its shape. This makes it ideal for reaching inside and locating a specific item without objects spilling out in various directions or sliding to the sides and fading to invisibility.
In order to open and close the bucket bag, a drawstring is typically employed. The drawstring is threaded to a hem of the same material as the bucket bag or loops attached to its body and is tightened to close or loosened to open it-a process not unlike tying one’s shoelaces.
Bucket bags are the bag industry’s way of bridging form and function. An elegant dark leather holding bag, such as the one launched in 2012 by the new brand Mansur Gavriel can be a statement piece in many dressy occasions.
However, a bucket bag is at its strongest in larger shapes, where it goes “heavy duty”, suspended by a large handle so that one can wear it across the body. Ethical consumerism has had its say on the materials used on bucket bags, with many brands such as Hozen resorting to leather substitutes like piñatex, which is made of recycled pineapple crop.
A VERSATILE MATERIAL FOR A VERSATILE BAG
Much in the same eco-friendly vein, this particular bucket bag is made of rattan, a native of Indochina, the Philippines and the Pacific. The tropical climbing plant is probably the most favored material in basketmaking (and not just basketmaking) as it can reach lengths of up to 150 meters with its thickness never exceeding a few centimeters. Rattan is stretchable, moldable and almost elastic, fit for the construction of a bag that must alter its shape engulfing the items it carries. Although rattan’s color is dull compared to other basketing materials such as willow, the weaver has ensured variety in the composition by the incorporation of different color zones such as a dark handle, brim and a thick dark band running along the upper part.
THE VINE THAT SAVES A FOREST
Rattan is not technically a liana, but is ofttimes referred to as one because it encircles regular trees while growing its way towards the light. In rattan harboring forests, loggers often opt to harvest rattan canes instead of cutting down the trees, as they are easier to acquire and transport and grow way faster than regular tropical wood. Having said that, there is such a thing as rattan overharvesting, with many countries setting up an annual allowable cut (AAC).
