The appropriately named Retro range is inspired by classic bag products from the ’60s and ’70s. These designs, which are tailored to today’s promotional market, are imbued with timeless appeal and meet current consumer tastes head on.

"’Authenticity’ is the key to their success,” BagBase’s Catherine Hardy explains. “We’ve designed the Retro bags to appeal to style-conscious consumers who recognise and appreciate the products’ established fashion associations. However, we’ve also addressed the needs of decorators and promotional customers in terms of branding potential and unit cost. The result is a range of easy to embellish, budget-priced bags, backed by a strong ‘product story’, that are virtually flying off the shelves.”

Flying is precisely what the BG16 Retro Flight Bag was originally intended for. It is a contemporary take on the iconic Pan-Am flight bag. The BG16’s distinctive ‘square’ form and contrast piping detail evoke the golden era of international air travel, when the world was a larger place and travelling by plane was still a rare adventure. Far removed from the functional focus of the modern rucksack, the bag brings a splash of glamour to ‘the everyday’. It makes a great travel companion, and at 30 x 28 x 10 cm (7 litres) it represents a stylish, compact work or general day-to-day bag. The BG16’s unisex styling makes it a popular with college bag buyers, and a shoo-in as a fashion accessory for sale through independent boutiques.

This year, the BG16 is joined by the BG26 Retro Day Bag – its new larger sibling. The BG26 measures 29 cm x 33 cm x 14 cm and has a 10-litre capacity. Its distinguishing feature is its front, zippered, gusseted pocket, which provides easily accessible extra stowage space and doubles as an ideal canvas for decoration. Like the BG16, the BG26 is more than just a functional promotional bag; it is a fashion accessory that makes a clear personal statement about the person who is carrying it. Perfect for plane passengers with more extensive hand luggage requirements, the BG16 is equally well suited as a cosmopolitan work or chic school bag.

Speaking of school bags, there is no trendier alternative for school kids than the BagBase BG14 Retro Shoulder Bag. Quintessentially retro and unapologetically hip, it ushers the sports bag designs of the 1970s back into vogue. While it might only ever be used for carting textbooks to Double English lessons, it hints at the prospect of soul weekenders and late-night DJ sets in ‘happening’ bars and clubs.

BagBase's BG16 in Pure Green

While the BG14 speaks directly to young fashionistas, its retro sporty looks also make it a ‘knowing’ choice for sports clubs and players. For example, the bag is an obvious add-on sale to a veterans’ football or cricket team ordering shirts or caps for their annual tour. “The BG14 is nothing if not versatile: large enough to accommodate schoolbooks or playing kit; compact enough to be carried around all day,” says Catherine Hardy.

Where the BG14 really scores is with its colour palette. BagBase has added a further four colours in 2010 – Bright Royal/White, French Navy/Classic Red, Pure Green/White, and White/Black. The new options – there are 11 in total – reflect current colour trends in retail, and enhance the bag’s old-school appeal. “They are contemporary colourways that are closely linked with 1970s sports fashions,” Catherine Hardy comments. “It all goes back to ‘authenticity’ – from the product’s design to its finishing details and its colour palette – we’ve sweated the details to make our Retro products the credible promo bags that every decorator should be championing if they’re serious about winning new sales.”

The BG14, BG16 and BG26 are available through BagBase’s European network of multi-brand distributors – details are available on the brand’s website (www.bagbase.com). For a 360 degree view of the Retro bags, visit the BagBase website and click on the ‘360°’ icon at the top of the relevant product pages.

For more information contact your usual BagBase distributor or visit www.bagbase.com.

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