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• April 10, 2008
• Object Lesson

Armed Forces

A Paris-based designer gives an old army sack new work to do. By Jason Wilson

It doesn't take a particularly design savvy person to make good use of a gently used street find, say a bookshelf with kid scribbles or a keyboard minus the 'N' key. But if you're designer Yahïa Ouled-Moussa, the old adage about trash leading to treasure more than holds true.

The Paris-based interiors-furniture designer has made a name for himself crafting thoughtful furnishings, clothing, and household items out of old shoes, found porcelain jugs, and sturdy linens. "It's always the materials that first attract me," Ouled-Moussa says of his cultivation of bric a brac into high art. According to the Algerian-born designer, his inspiration springs from "the quality and textures of fabrics like 'matiere brute' or the pureness in a certain material."

Lately, the designer has kept himself busy, filling his 17th Arrondissement gallery-boutique, Yoming, with all of his reinvented apparel, furniture, and sculpted objets. But the most tempting of his creations is also one of his simplest—the Grand Sac (and its smaller counterpart, the 4x4 bag) is crafted from old French army sacks that have been smartly deconstructed. In the same fashion as many of the other in-store finds, these modern army bags are reshaped from scratch using the original raw material. Oxidized silver hardware, stenciled text, and matching canvas tote straps are added for a more city-friendly feel…perfect for a tour of duty or Whole Foods. Take your pick.

The Grand Sac, $150 Euros, and the 4x4 Sac, $100 Euros, are available at Yoming, 95, rue Nollet, 75017 Paris, and on their website, www.yoming.fr.

A Paris-based designer gives an old army sack new work to do