The Renewal Bag

Ying For Bynd Artisan

“I was transitioning into something or someone else. What and who would that be? How would I describe this odd feeling of dissolving and recomposing?”
—Deborah Levy

The world in 2020 has given us new eyes. What we look at, what we see when we look, how we see, where we go in search of meaning, beauty and another way of living, working and being — everything has changed irrevocably.

In the breaking open of the old is an opportunity to rebuild something new. It is through the cracks that light finally finds new trajectories, illuminating possibilities to reimagine an alternate future.

On this new journey, we have taken the time to deeper explore — to un-see and re-see — who we want to be as a brand. Are we creating beautiful objects as much as we are creating important conversations and a change in the world? How can we do better? How may we help you consume more meaningfully?

The Renewal Bag, a limited edition of upcycled, reversible totes, is the result of asking these hard but necessary questions. The search has turned our eyes into our hearts — and our archives. There, we found new purpose, both for our brand and a collection of offcuts rife with potential, waiting to be discovered, longing for their moment to shine.

The Renewal Bag is special for another reason — it marks our second collaboration with Ying, who is on a similar journey towards a more mindful and eco-conscious approach to the creation and production process.

“Our inventory is filled with amazing printed fabrics and pieces from previous collections, some of which we may not have had the chance to utilise and showcase,” says Phuay Li Ying, founder and artist of Ying. “My team and I feel that now is the right time to take these archive pieces out and repurpose them, give them a new story, and we’re happy to do this together with Bynd Artisan.”

Combining the beauty of Ying’s handpainted watercolour artworks and fabrics with the luxury of Bynd Artisan’s leather handles — which may be personalised with a name, initials or a special word —the Renewal Bag is reversible to offer you a choice of two distinct styles. It is available in four designs —“Gentle Winds in Rose”, “Bravery in Forest”, “Mountain in Midnight”, “Bougainvillea in Scarlet” — with a limited quantity of 20 pieces per design.

“We can all be advocates for global sustainability and contribute to a broader change,” says Winnie Chan, co-founder of Bynd Artisan. “We do this as a brand and retailer, and you can do it as consumers — through the choices we make every day.”

For this collaboration, we also reached out to Dr Georgia Lee — an eco warrior who has for years been advocating environmentally-friendly practices by example and a source of great inspiration to us — to show us how to go green in style. Read more about her feature here. She also tells us what she loves about the Renewal Bag: “I love what it represents, and I am proud that two well-known Singaporean brands are leading the pack towards sustainability in the fashion segment.”