Bags with an attitude
Express Yourself - the tagline of Baggitude reads. And rightfully so, since Baggitude, an online store, offers you eco-friendly jute bags which you can customise according to your taste, aspirations, and personality.
This thirst for expression is of course nothing new. We do it through an innumerable mediums. Just look at the walls portraying graffiti or slogans, or T-shirts with a message or a picture of an icon.
Baggitude shows that bags can be a brilliant medium of expression. If 'choter jhola' or 'choter bosta' is the only image that comes to your mind when you think about jute bags, this online store is here to break this paradigm. Baggitude's bags are a burst of colours. And they usually come with messages, which are often funny and witty, but with an underlying social message or at least something to reflect your principles and attitude towards life.
From backpack to string bag to tote, they have bags for a wide range of occasions and places, from campus to the shopping mall to an evening out with friends. Some of them are water-proof; some also allow you to carry laptops. Although the bags are primarily made of jute, other materials, such as leather, have also been used.
Baggitude brings out thematic bags. Check out their Dhaka-series for an example, which depicts the city in various ways: Sadarghat and rickshaw art and CNG-taxis and what not.
The online store also sells merchandise bags. To illustrate, they have already collaborated with Arbovirus, offering bags with the popular band's name and logo. "We would like to make more merchandise bags," said Rubaiyath Sarwar, founder of Baggitude. "And we would continue to do it professionally, with royalties paid to the people or entities - instead of using someone's name without their permission or benefit while we exploit their popularity."
Deals and collaborations are big for Baggitude. "We plan to make collaborations with young artists and designers. So, if an artist submits content to us and if we think that it is good enough, we would make bags with that theme and design, and the artist will earn royalty," Sarwar explained.
And of course, if you want to flaunt your creative side, you may choose to personalise your bag. Pick a colour of your choice. Write whatever message you want to give to the world. Give a picture of your friend to Baggitude in order to gift a bag with his/her caricature. "Baggitude's website has an in-built application which allows you to go through this creative process, helping you illustrate and then make a decision," Sarwar said.
PRICES
Generally speaking, Baggitude's bags are priced between Tk 250 and Tk 1560. Add Tk 400 for personalised bags. Delivery charge within Dhaka is Tk 60; if you want it delivered somewhere in Bangladesh but outside Dhaka, it's Tk 110.
ESSENTIAL INFO
When you visit at Dhaka International Trade Fair, drop by at Baggitude's outlet (Stall # 10 and 11, Jute Diversification Promotion Centre's pavilion). If you order a bag from the fair, there will be no delivery charge. This month, you can avail a 15 percent discount across all of Bagitutude's outlets. Find 'Baggitude' on Facebook. Visit their website, www.baggitude.co
By M H Haider
Photo courtesy: Baggitude
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