Scan Magazine | Big Nordic Design Special | Swedish Design
Retro plastic is fantastic The Hinza bag is a Swedish design classic dating back to the 1950s. Today, the plastic shopper is back on the shelves, including a sustainable Green Plastic range. By Ellinor Thunberg | Photos: Isabell N Wedin
“My great grandfather founded Perstorp AB and the company launched the original bag in the ‘50s,” says Karin Bachstätter, CEO at Hinza. Production ceased in the ‘60s when the disposable plastic bag came into fashion, but the old favourites were carefully treasured in Bachstätter’s childhood home. “It was a natural part of my childhood,” she recalls and adds that when she and her siblings moved away from home, they fought over the last few bags. This made them think: if they loved the bags so much, perhaps others would too? The bag was relaunched in 2008. Produced in Hillerstorp, Småland, it comes in two sizes and currently no less than 14 different colours. A Green Plastic version, made from sugarcanes, is becoming increasingly popular.
“We are proud to offer a product in a renewable, plant-based raw material. New colours are underway and the selection is growing all the time. There is great demand for this type of product, which is really fun,” the CEO says. The sturdy construction makes the plastic tote bag ideal for a range of uses, from shopping to gardening, beach life or even as an ice bucket filled with drinks. “It is such a stylistically pure and simple product that everyone can find useful in one way or another. It is so much more than just a bag,” says Bachstätter.
For more information, please visit: www.hinza.se/en
A whole world of imagination Anna Lindsten invites you to a fantasy world of playful and fun designs inspired by Nordic nature. Her stories speak to the imagination of young and old. By Malin Norman | Photos: Anna Lindsten
Stockholm-based illustrator and designer Anna Lindsten creates her own range of stationery and homeware such as cushions, trays and cutting boards, and works on assignments in Scandinavia and further afield with prominent clients such as Uniqlo in Japan, Tesco Magazine in the UK and Gourmet Girlfriend in Australia to name a few. “My idea is to provide designs for people who like to feed their imagination and storytelling regardless of age,” ex18 | Issue 87 | April 2016
plains Lindsten. Her playful pieces include Nattskogen, which encourages interaction with children. The two-sided cushions show different characters with their eyes closed on one side and open on the other, in a number of designs. One version is ‘Now you see me, now you don’t’, others include grumpy ‘Day and night’, dancing forest mouse ‘Cheek to cheek’ and hedgehog ‘Come rain come shine’. They function as standalone pieces in any room or can be combined into a story of the owner’s choice. “There is something for everyone to discover,” says the designer. “A journalist once said that my designs are like a fun, curious and exciting fantasy world.” Take cushion cover Rainy in the Nattskogen range for example. Lindsten recalls a client who said it reminded her of a magical childhood mo-
ment. “This is exactly what I want. My prints and images should trigger the imagination and give birth to new stories.” The source of inspiration is mostly nature, and Lindsten explains how she enjoys spending time exploring. “There is so much to see down there on the ground and up in the trees!” Lindsten will show her products at the Formex tradeshow in Stockholm in August and in Tokyo later in the autumn. For more information, please visit: www.annalindsten.se and order via the webshop www.annalindsten.tictail.com. Follow @annalindsten on Instagram.