Bag Research

My girlfriend has a ridiculous amount of retail bags that she has collected over reecent years (showing people outside of the design industry do appreciate printed ephemera) so I thought while at home I should exploit the collection for my own practice.
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Looking at the bags in relation to their function format and designs I have analysed each as a comparison with what I need to consider for my bookshop idenity bags.
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The bags were mainly based from fashion retailers but there was a bookshop in there as well.
The bags I photographed include
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America Apparel // Gilly Hicks // Neighbourhood // magma books // V&A // Whistles
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but the full list was slighly more extensive...

Magma Books
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The books are extremely functional with strength and format being key given the variety of sizes that books come in. The design on this bag advertising other stores and the content which one stored was a nice concept
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Categories included magazines, books and normal formats as well as an additional category of 'weird stuff' which I think is a great portrayal of the brands fun side, something I will need to communicate in my own designs. 

Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)
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The identity for the V&A allows for flexibility depending on the exhibitions on at the time, with the logo taking an obvious forefront on the design and patterns / designs taken from current exhibitions promoting both the gallery and current events.
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They show a similar format to the magma books, allowing heavy or larger books to be carried without worrying about breaking the handle... perfect for an exhibition shop selling a variety of books.

The designs are appropriate to the culture sector, and appeal to a variety of audiences which is ideal for the variety of people that visit the gallery.
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It is a bold communication of the brand identity as well as what the gallery is up to at the time. Creating an identity that allows flexibility and development over time is a brilliant trait and something I want to pick up on for my bookshop.

Neighbourhood
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Intereresting format for this bag, a resealable design which fits t-shirts and other clothing garments inside.
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Its experimental format is a good communicator of the products that the shop sells. Focusing on low volume releases produced at high qualities this bag is a great communication of where the brand aims to sit on the market.

Gilly hicks
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A more commercial design suitable for its audience, using the draw strings that are well known in their clothing, another great way of communicating the brand.
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The floral pattern is also reflective of the clothes that the shop sells, again communicating to a specific audience and selection of buyers.

Whistles
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A definite theme of minimalism and brilliant use of a black and white colour scheme. This bag really exploits the white space as a blank canvas and lets the brand logo / name do all the talking.
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The bag also uses distinctive thick handles similar to the threads use to tighten tracksuit bottoms, another great example of effective brand communication.

American Apparel
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Consistent branding with the shop interior and overall brand communication. Bold use of helvetica and the iconic locations of the store.
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Although the format and audience are very different to those I aim to focus in my brief the use of simple typography is a wonderful tool of communication and something I will remember when designing my own bags.