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TSATSAS Collaborates with Dieter Rams to Release His 1963 Handbag

12.10.18 | By
TSATSAS Collaborates with Dieter Rams to Release His 1963 Handbag

When iconic designer Dieter Rams comes to mind, you probably think about products for Braun or his furniture for VitsÅ“, but did you know that he designed a handbag back in 1963? We didn’t either. About 50 years ago, Rams designed a leather handbag for his wife, Ingeborg, and thanks to German label TSATSAS, the 931 handbag is finally seeing the light of day.

The minimalist bag, named the “931“, evokes a timeless feel that’s stripped of adornment much like Rams’ other products, which all fall under his “less is more” philosophy. Clad in black or grey calfskin leather with a blue lamb nappa interior, the handcrafted bag opens up to reveal various compartments to keep items organized.

The design came about when Rams was working at Braun as their chief designer. He began working with leather while collaborating with leather crafting workshops in Offenbach/Main on the brand’s shaver cases. During that time he became inspired to design a bag he could give to his wife as a surprise. The one-off design remained dormant until this year when TSATSAS came on board and refined a few details to make it more functional. Now the brand is bringing the 931 handbag to market allowing design fans to obtain something by Rams that’s a little more obscure.

All images © Gerhardt Kellermann, Munich

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.