UP freshman turns household item into emerging fashion enterprise
By Lauren Seynhaeve
ago, Clackamas Community College sophomore Sam Armstrong made a duct tape bag for UP freshman Kylie Simonton. As students of Vancouver School of the Arts and Academics, both were interested in unusual artistic mediums. One day, Armstrong decided to pick up a roll of duct tape and see what he could make with it.
A lot, as it turned out.
When Simonton saw the inventive things Armstrong was doing with duct tape two years ago, she decided to take up the art as well. And ever since, they have been working together to make bags.
Only a few weeks ago, they started selling their wares through etsy.com, a Web site that allows artists to market their work online.
"People are generally interested and somewhat amused that you can make a functional bag all out of duct tape," Simonton said. "People typically think the bags are pretty cool."
They're also durable. Although they are a rather unconventional type of purse or messenger bag, the strength of duct tape makes the products able to withstand daily use, and Armstrong and Simonton use an especially thick type of tape to help lengthen the life of the bags.
"They're awesome," said UP junior Kim Schuldt. "They look like they're professionally done. She (Kylie) is so good!"
Since their products have not been online long, Simonton said there hasn't been an increase in sales, but general interest has gone up.
In only two to three hours, Simonton can make a duct tape bag from scratch. And the five designs online aren't the only ones that they have made.
"Designs we've done include the ones you see on ETSY as well as owl designs, bicycles, buttons, clouds, geometric patterns, army inspired, records, skulls, music notes and holiday inspired designs," she said.
Currently, five styles of bags for sale ranging in price from $35 to $45 are available online. Designs on the bags include a synthesizer, a skull and a cupcake, among others.
All of the bags are handmade completely of duct tape, and are preserved with clear tape.
The products are available at www.tape.etsy.com.
Armstrong and Simonton have also worked with customers to create custom designs, pointing out they can make the bags in various colors and sizes, depending on what the customer wants.
"I just sold a bag that had old fashioned buttons sewn on the cover," said Simonton. "I really liked the different mediums working together."
The available bags, however, have a wide range of appeal, so Simonton hasn't had many opportunities to make a custom one recently.
"The versatility of duct tape is what I think draws me to it," Armstrong notes on the Web site. "It is both the canvas and the paint, both flat and three dimensional, both utilitarian and eccentric."
Armstrong and Simonton plan to add many more styles to their online collection in the near future.
"Sam and I are always making more duct tape bags with different colors," Simonton said. "However, what with school starting, we've both have had less time to work on them."
Simonton is going to spend fall break making up for lost time, though, and hopes to catch up.
Armstrong and Simonton have worked together to expand upon this utilitarian art form, and have gone from selling their duct tape messenger bags and purses by word of mouth to an online store in a matter of months.
"Duct tape is seen as something more practical, but it's also an interesting art medium to work with," Simonton said. "It's challenging but also really unique."
