FORESTBOUND
A
FROM HOLIDAY 2011
s a photographer, I like to travel, it’s a favorite hobby of mine and sometimes it’s necessary for work. It does not matter if I am traveling nearby or distantly, I just like the adventure. However, the adventure of traveling can sometimes be more stressful than one needs it to be, especially when what you can travel with is limited. The most stressful part of traveling is having a carryall bag that holds all of your last-minute items, toiletries you couldn’t shove into your luggage, and miscellany that you brought but will have no use for besides consuming space. When I need a bag like that, I don’t settle for a regular backpack. I carry many things with me daily and in my travels. My bag is the most necessary item I own. It is not only the bag I carry all of my notes, ideas, textbooks, planners, and photography stuff in, but it also becomes my luggage piece when traveling abroad. For this reason, I was ecstatic when we found the creations of Alice Saunders at Forestbound. Using her talent as a designer and artist she creates bags, purses, and totes from reclaimed and up-cycled materials in artistic and luxurious ways. The bags that Alice creates are as much a functional work of art as they are a masterful weaving of antique materials that carry the history of their previous lives.
Heath: Where did you develop the inspiration for the bags, and the style, that you create today? Alice: I developed my inspiration from flea marketing originally. There was an old flea market in our hometown that I visited frequently and it was always filled with wonderful materials to work with. There were many older people around the town who would clean out their attics and barns. They would bring amazing military relics to these flea markets. I first started my love for hand-stitched military bags and duffels there. The next step was learning to do something practical with them. Heath: Do you do the photography for all of your products? Alice: I do about 95% of my photography for the shop. I have a friend who will sometimes photograph my special collections or limited edition pieces, though. Heath: How did you start your pursuit of photography and product display? Alice: I started the photography of my products by using household items. I originally started by using a shelf in my bedroom to learn how to position the products for display and photography. I am a firm believer in using what you have. Heath: So when did you start your company and how did you get the name? Alice: I started Forestbound about 4 years ago. The name kind of just came to me. I was thinking about where I grew up, back in the pines of New Hampshire, and the name Forestbound came to me and just sounded right.
I phoned Alice to see just what it was that started this passion of hers, and find out from her what making these amazing pieces means to her. Heath Stiltner: So, Alice, where did you grow up? Alice Saunders: I was born and raised in New Hampshire. I grew up surrounded by trees in a small rural community only about an hour from Boston, MA.
Heath: I love farm totes, what made you choose to design a line of them? Alice: I love farm totes as well. They’re my favorite bag for their functionality. I don’t like to add unnecessary frills. I carry a tote as well and I like it to be a great gender-neutral bag that looks great while carrying it but is also functional for everyday use.
Heath: Where do you live now? Alice: I currently live in Boston, MA. I came here for college about ten years ago when I was attending Northeastern.
Heath: What do you have in the mix for the upcoming season? Alice: I am currently working on a small line of all-leather bags and I will be finishing them soon. I always try to work with leather but for this project I wanted the experience of creating entire products out of it. They are still simple, practical, and gender-neutral, but are an alternative to my usual pieces. They’re also very durable. I wanted to include reclaimed material as well and chose to make us of reclaimed brass for the hardware and accompanying tags on the bags. —forestbound.com
Heath: Did you study design while you were in college? Alice: No, I studied History. My senior thesis was about the Vietnam War, which comes through in my love of military goods and the use of them in my products. Heath: When did you first start making bags? Alice: I have crafted since childhood. In high school I would use my Mom’s Singer sewing machine from Sears to make pouches and purses. Since then I have figured out more about myself and my aesthetic and have since crafted the purses and bags that people buy now.
STORY: HEATH STILTNER 29
