The contest, begun in 1993 by Collab member and PMA trustee Lisa Roberts, coincides with the group's annual Design Excellence Award. This year's winner was the boundary-pushing designer and architect Zaha Hadid.
Hadid's jet-setting lifestyle - she designs around the world - partly inspired the theme. "Also, we were intrigued by the idea of her packaging," said Roberta Gruber, chair of Collab's Education Committee. To accompany futuristic limited-edition shoes she had designed for Lacoste, Hadid designed a box with two craters perfectly contoured to fit the shoes. Said Gruber: "We jumped from that to 'We'd love to see a bag that solves all the problems of where to put everything for an overnight trip.' "
Five design professionals spent the rest of the day scrutinizing the prototypes and storyboards to pick five winners.
By 1:30, the judges - Susan Szenasy, editor-in-chief of Metropolis; John Edelman, president and chief executive officer of Design Within Reach; Victor Sanz, design director at Tumi; Janet Villano, vice president for product development at Skiphop; and Kirsten Climer, a designer with Smart Design Worldwide - had narrowed the field to 30 finalists.
A large, one-shouldered satchel designed for people who use wheelchairs won praise for addressing the special-needs audience, but it looked too difficult to use. Another contender, a modern interpretation of a steamer trunk, was unusual, but the compartments were deemed too small to hold much of anything.
The judges perked up at "Wanderer," a green canvas bag threaded onto a thick wooden stick, hobo-style.
"I love this one," said Szenasy.
"I love it, too," said Edelman.
"It's basic, honest, and fun," said Sanz.
