MRBAILEY and Cote&Ciel's debut collaboration became a sell-out success upon launching earlier this year. The burgeoning London-based designer, known for his inventive concepts and previous footwear collaborations with adidas, joined the sharp accessories imprint for a beanie-turned-crossbody bag, dubbed "ORNE PLUS" — and thanks to much fanfare, it's now back in stock.
The ORNE PLUS capsule is built on Cote&Ciel's design pillars of manipulating a singular piece of fabric into a multi-dimensional product. Maximizing volume, the two brands reshaped the signature beanie silhouette into a mid-sized carrier that blends classic utilitarianism with design elements that nod to both labels' core codes.
Mimicking a massive hat in a waterproof case, the accessory boasts minimalistic MRBAILEY and Cote&Ciel branding on its buckle. It's a "piece of architectural headwear" that can still be worn as such while operating alternatively as a bag. "This collaboration is more of a celebration of process than anything else," MRBAILEY told Hypebeast.
Below, Hypebeast spoke with MRBAILEY about the collaboration's formation, their shared design process and what the future might hold for the two brands.
How did you first encounter Cote&Ciel, and how have you grown your relationship together?
I first encountered them through one of their laptop cases I found at an Apple store in New York. I was studying Product Design over there at the time and I remember being inspired by their product, specifically their hardware. The approach to materiality and detail stood out to me. They’ve found themselves on a lot of my mood boards over the years.
You debuted the collaboration earlier this year. How did this all come about?
It stemmed from a mutual appreciation of our creative processes. A friend of mine, Graeme was also working with the brand and suggested the potential of putting our heads together to create something. Given my past appreciation for the brand, it was a no brainer for me.
"If I’m obsessed with one thing, it’s how people create, what their process is and how I can learn and grow from that."
What elements of the MRBAILEY design language are you bringing to their signature accessories?
Aside from my affinity for beanies, bags and a monochromatic colour scheme, this collaboration is more of a celebration of process than anything else. The MRBAILEY design language is always a direct reflection of a method of make and in-depth creative process. Form following a process. If I’m obsessed with one thing, it’s how people create, what their process is and how I can learn and grow from that. This product is a direct reflection of that obsession.
Walk us through the design behind the MRBAILEY ORNE PLUS.
The MRBAILEY ORNE PLUS bag & beanie are both a representation of their Head of Design, Emilie Arnault’s creative process. Her ability to visualise a highly complex 3D form from a single flat piece of paper or fabric is genuinely inspiring. This whole project is if nothing else, an attempt on my part to showcase her creative process and visualisation ability.
After many trips back and forth from my studio in London to her maker atelier in Paris, we created the ‘Twist’ ORNE PLUS beanie, which is made from a single piece of nylon, that’s been cleverly folded and twisted to form into the shape of a hat.
From that Emilie created the ORNE PLUS bag, which was directly inspired by the form and function of the beanie.
How does the bag merge your mutual design aesthetics?
Any aesthetic that’s a direct derivative of a process is something that embodies my aesthetic. Especially if comes in all black.
What can we expect to see from MRBAILEY and Cote&Ciel next?
Some of the initial ideas we explored doing together were pretty wild. They involved everything from morphing furniture to home appliances, it would be fun to re-visit some of those early concepts.
The MRBAILEY x Cote&Ciel ORNE PLUS Twist Beanie is now available to shop on both brands' webstores for $159 USD. Take a look at the design in the gallery above.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast
