It was just last week that we mentioned the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) and its uncanny knack for a) honoring our favorite menswear designers in the biz, most recently Thom Browne, and b) throwing parties that draw highly photogenic crowds.
The CFDA’s noteworthy deeds continue this week with a collection of one-of-a-kind weekend bags that the non-profit organization, along with Details magazine, commissioned from top menswear designers including Michael Bastian, Rag & Bone, Todd Snyder and Billy Reid.
[The plain, military-surplus duffel each designer started with.]
The bags are being auctioned on eBay through this weekend only. As of this posting, Todd Snyder’s is the most hotly sought after with 23 bids. But you know how these things work: The auction ends June 17; now’s your chance to stake out your favorite bag, then swoop in at the last minute to drop the winning bid.
Check out our favorite bags below, and pop over to eBay to see about scoring a one-of-a-kind work of art (slash piece of luggage). All proceeds go to the CFDA to benefit new and emerging designers.
Michael Bastian. The 2011 CFDA Award winner patched up his bag like an Eagle Scout sash full of merit badges; but in a Jack Kerouac-like twist, the obscure mementos look like they’ve been collected throughout a road scholar’s lifetime of strange trips.
Shop Michael Bastian | Bid on This Bag
Rag & Bone. Sleek black leather contrasting the faded olive give this duffel—by the English-bred, New York-based duo behind Rag & Bone—the look of a refined doctor’s bag. Perfect for carting a change of clothes uptown to hit the gym before or after the office.
Shop Rag & Bone | Bid on This Bag
Marc Jacobs. Win this auction, and you get not only a cool bag—but also dozens of what appear to be hand-doodled buttons to pluck off and pin to your jean- and leather-jacket lapels.
Shop Marc by Marc Jacobs | Bid on This Bag
Tommy Hilfiger. It’s amazing how some blue dye and leather accents can make an Army/Navy bag look incredibly luxe—as with Hilfiger’s unmistakable play on one of our favorite trends for summer: unapologetic Americana.
Shop Tommy Hilfiger Watches | Bid on This Bag
Billy Reid. Alabama-based Reid devised one of the most functional duffels of the bunch—complete with longer handles to toss it over your shoulder during endless airport treks, and a strap on the end to easily nab it from the overhead compartment (or the flatbed of a truck).
Shop Billy Reid | Bid on This Bag
Ovadia & Sons. Twin brothers Shimon and Ariel Ovadia offer a wry twist on their signature mix of preppy and military influences, with aeronautical patches affixed in a jaunty, haphazard manner.
Shop J. Press York Street by Ovadia & Sons | Bid on This Bag
Duckie Brown. Where other redesigns sought to urbanize the source material, this one embraces olive green’s earthy side, with a wooly blanket pattern that recalls visions of summer camp.
Shop Florsheim by Duckie Brown Shoes | Bid on This Bag
Todd Snyder. This Iowa-born designer chose to pursue the ‘Navy’ side of Army/Navy, with a sailor-inspired creation that turns the conventional duffel on its ear. Rugged natural leather and sturdy rope make it ready for a long boat ride—preferably to the Bahamas.
Shop Todd Snyder | Bid on This Bag
And two more auctions we’re eyeing: Richard Chai (top) and Public School—we don’t carry these guys, but they made some of our favorite bags of the bunch. The former utilizes a rare color scheme we suddenly hope to see more of: olive green x neon blue.
The latter, in always-appropriate black on black, looks like a cross between Michael Jackson’s jacket from Thriller and some space-age survival gear from our recent favorite sci-fi film-festival throwback.
[Intro photo by Donnell Culver for We Are The Market. Duffel photos via Details.com.]
