It’s all in the material

AWARD-WINING BRAND Pinsel on the Shelf goes back to basics for its latest collection by designing handmade leather bags that bear a striking resemblance to the once popular paper carrier bag.

The label, which was launched online in 2012 by interior designers Punyapa Tangkittikun and Pranchai Ruangthummasak, takes its name from the German for brush.

This is not the first time Punyapa and Pranchai have gone for the paper look. Indeed, their very first collection included a scratchproof Paper Pouch and a Paper Key Pouch, both of them ideal for storing money, credit cards and keys while popping to the local convenience store. 

Feedback on the initial line was good, earning the pair more than 6,000 followers on Facebook and encouraging them to open their first shop at Chatuchak Weekend Market in late 2014. That led to more recognition and their selection as one of the new-wave designers to showcase their creations in the Designer Room zone of Bangkok International Gift and Houseware Fair.

Further accolades followed when their Coffee & Tea Clutch series, which are fashioned from recycled paper, a mixture of used tealeaves and coffee pulp and coated with plastic, snatched prizes at Japan’s Good Design Awards and Thailand’s Demark Awards. 

“I’m crazy about bags and dreamt of design

 ing one that would really suit me. In 2014, I quit my job and teamed up with Pranchai. Our designs imitate the paper carriers you find in a grocery and supermarket. They are simple but classic,” Punyapa says, adding, “We are always on the lookout for new materials.”

Available in muted beige, mint, grey, navy blue, brown and green, the designs focus on simplicity and functionality. They include a Paper Pencil Box that can double as a vase, a Paper Tote Bag that converts easily into a clutch and shoulder bag and a Paper Key Case that is also a luggage tag. 

Other best sellers include a Paper Fold Card Case with two compartments, a Envelope Card Case and a Pinsel Wallet made from genuine cow leather.

Punyapa shares the Chatuchak store with her sister Nuttha Tangkittikun, owner of Cat Soup fashion label and a talented graphic designer. 

Her minimal outfits are mostly made with cotton and linen for easy wearing in a hot climate. All dresses, T-shirts, blouses and skirts boast a simple silhouette and a variety of patterns including cats, stripes, plaid and dots. 

Pinsel on the Shelf’s products are also available at Another Story in EmQuartier, Anyroom in Jam Factory, Good Design in Central Embassy and O.D.S. in the newly refurbished Siam Discovery. 

 

CREATING CARRIERS

Pinsel on the Shelf is at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Room No 232, Section 3, Soi 46.

It’s open from 11am to 7pm on Saturday and Sunday. Call (089) 122 7830 or visit “PinselfOnTheShelf” page on Facebook.