Remember the ghastly $66,000 GPU purses that felt like a failed union of tech and fashion? For girls who like a touch of tech in their accessories, Nik Bentel Studio has something that doesn’t make the eyes bleed with dissatisfaction. The limited-edition drop features two electronic handbags that double as functioning sound devices. The Speaker Bag is a Bluetooth-enabled boombox that lets any music lover play DJ, delivering over 70 dB of sound. The second iteration, dubbed the Mixer Bag, features a working 4-channel audio mixer, with stereo and mono capabilities and four inputs.
A series of knobs on the side of the bag allow for adjustment, and LED level monitors allow for real-time sound monitoring. Both look trendy with translucent acrylic while revealing bits of the circuitry and hardware, and together, they make up a mobile DJ kit for two. It allows you to strut the streets with a retro charm that’s hard to find at a time when everyone is lining up for hard-to-get leather bags.
Inspired by NYC’s DJ scene and portable music culture, the project reimagines the bag as both a sonic device and a fashion statement. It’s hard to imagine even a six-figure Hermès bag offering as much fun as the $400 Mixer Bag or the $350 Speaker Bag. Studio founder Nik Bentel stated, “Music plays such an integral part of NYC’s creative culture, particularly in the design sphere (many designers are DJs!),” he told Dezeen. “It only seemed fitting to design a fashion object for the musicians we admire.”
Another plus of the foot-tapping handbags is the color options. With clear or black acrylic options, the bags can be worn with almost everything, high up on the shoulder. The next time you want to draw the world’s attention as a carrier of cute, curated, charming stuff, you know what to carry.
