nurture tote / shell

The Nurture Tote began with the 1970s conversation pits I came across while researching shapes for Nurture. Those sunken leather lounges drew me in ~ the curves and padded sections were exactly what I wanted to sink into. I was at a stage in my practice where I really wanted to challenge myself, so I set out to get the oval profile precisely as I'd sketched it, in a structured work bag that could comfortably carry everything for a busy day. It took five prototypes, and each one meant a decision about what mattered most. I left out a dedicated laptop sleeve to keep the side profile consistent, which means your laptop can sit against either wall, and there's no extra weight on the days you don't carry one. And when one prototype had a plain back panel, I went back to quilting it, so the bag is finished from every angle. The padding is recycled wool felt, the same as in the Ravjul Bag Charm, and the small blackwood feet are turned from workshop offcuts.

Shell is a slightly pink neutral, close to the natural colour of the hide, and it happened to look just like the inside of a shell.

~ Australian bovine leather made in Queensland, Australia

~ Each hide is natural, so every batch is a little different, with the grain and texture of the animal it came from

~ Padded with recycled wool felt

~ Available in four colours: Black Rock, Red Rock, Peppercorn, and our custom colour Passata

~ Gold-tone hardware and internal zip

~ Saddle-stitched details using beeswax coated linen thread

~ Flap closure with self-locating hidden magnets

~ One main compartment with two open pockets and a zip pocket inside

~ For your 14" laptop, standard or plus sized phone, other work items, small drink bottle and lunch container

~ Small ring on the exterior strap to hang bag charms

~ Long shoulder straps

~ Australian blackwood feet, turned by Simeon Dux in Northcote from workshop offcuts

~ Made to order only, because of how complex it is to make

~ Made by hand in our Brunswick atelier and with specialist makers in Reservoir and Ballarat

~ Comes packaged with love in an organic cotton dust bag made by the women at SisterWorks

Size: W37.5cm x H30cm x D15cm

Weight: 1.25kg

Shell leather is running extremely low. It's a custom colour that needs a minimum order to produce, and the numbers don't stack up for me to reorder it, so this is the end of the road for Shell. There's enough left for a few small bags, wallets and charms, but not enough for a Nurture Tote.