Sales & Shopping

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• May 8, 2008
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Big Bag Theory

Mer creates a shopper tote for all seasons. By Jason Wilson

Fulfilling the tasks of everyday life requires that every woman have a downright fabulous carryall. Anything from a pair of ballet flats to wet wipes (in lieu of the kitchen sink) must be readily retrievable from all the necessary clutter concealed within the season's most coveted tote. Though there are several run-of-the-mill options available, Brooklyn-based designer Angie Wright's Shopper is giving the competitors a run for their money. "I was planning to just test it out in a store first season, but I've had so many requests, I had to hurry up and produce it." she says.

With little formal training, Wright cultivated her design skills over the last ten years as a photographer and model to create Mer, her capsule collection of "what I know my friends and I would love to find." As for the influence, the designer drew from some dreamy coastal climes. "I was really influenced by Antonioni's L'Avventura…life at the beach in the Mediterranean," Wright says. And her affinity for the sea is readily apparent with pieces featuring names like Aquinna, Zuma, Horseneck, references to her favorite beaches.

For the Shopper, Wright meticulously measured out the items that her friends carried throughout the day to create the perfect size. She chose a subtle green-tan raffia and canvas, "fabrics that come to mind when I think of summer," she says, and added subtle hardware for a distinctive anti-logo look. The end result is a comfortable and functional summer must that's sure to make room for anything, at the beach and beyond.

Mer Shopper, $495, available by special order through Mer and Stuart & Wright
, 85 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-797-0011.

Mer creates a shopper tote for all seasons.