Issey Miyake Bao Bao Lucent Bag – Black

The Lucent is the flattest and most graphic thing in the line, and the large triangles are why. Where other Bao Bao models use small tiles that produce a fine, almost pixelated faceting, this one uses big ones, so the surface resolves into a handful of bold planes rather than a mass of tiny ones. At just over thirteen inches square and barely two thirds of an inch deep, it is essentially a flat sheet that happens to be a tote, and it folds and flexes along the seams between triangles as it is carried. Adjustable straps mean it can sit at the shoulder or in the hand. Season-less is the right word for it: there is no material here that reads as summer or winter, no hardware to date it, and nothing about the geometry that belongs to a particular year.

The colour

Black turns the triangles into an effect of light rather than a graphic. Where the white version shows the panel edges as drawn lines, this one shows them as changing planes of shadow, so the bag appears to shift as you move rather than holding a fixed pattern. It is the easier of the two to live with and the subtler of the two to look at.

Sizing and dimensions

13.3 x 13.3 x 0.70 inches. Adjustable straps. A flat square tote that flexes and gains depth as it is loaded.

Large triangles give a much bolder read than the small-tile models, and a flat square tote is the most useful shape a bag can be. The adjustable strap means it does two jobs.

Made in Japan, in black. Large triangular panels, mounted so that they flex against one another rather than holding a fixed form, with adjustable straps.

Black makes it the most versatile object in this part of the line. It reads as a considered accessory rather than a statement, and the faceting does its work in movement rather than at rest.

Wipe clean with a soft damp cloth rather than laundering, and keep it away from heat, direct sun, and solvents. Store it flat rather than stuffed. Our fabric care guide covers PVC, coated cloth, and bags directly.

The same bag in white is the sibling colourway. Then the Carton Shoulder Bag and the Valley Bag. There is more on the house on the Issey Miyake designer page. Everything we carry from Issey Miyake is listed together.