While SOLAHANPU’s current lineup focuses mainly on wallets and pouches, the brand previously offered a product called “Storio”—a backpack, which was a rare offering for the brand.
In this post, I’ll document this past product, “Storio”—which is no longer in production—and the lessons learned from it.
Our Approach to Waxed Canvas, Water Resistance, and Theft Prevention
Storio was a product that took a highly unusual approach for a backpack: it used “waxed canvas”—the very essence of SOLAHANPU’s identity—as its main material, while also enhancing both “water resistance” and “theft resistance.”
While typical backpacks often have zippers and pockets exposed on the outside, Storio maintained a minimalist appearance while incorporating a unique anti-theft design that prevented easy access from behind—even in situations like overseas travel.
Issues Identified During the First Production Run and Why We Won’t Be Re-releasing It
We’re very grateful that the initial production run sold out, but as we actually released the product into the market and used it ourselves, we discovered many insights and areas for improvement.
These were new insights we gained as designers—thoughts like, “Couldn’t we make it lighter if we did this?” or “Couldn’t we simplify how this part works even further?” To further refine the product into a form we’re fully satisfied with, we haven’t re-released Storio since the initial production run.
Past Experiments Live On in Our Current Product
However, the experience we gained from developing Storio and its initial production run has by no means been wasted.
Techniques for creating a minimalist silhouette by eliminating unnecessary protrusions, hidden anti-theft mechanisms invisible from the outside, and ingenious features that maximize functionality in limited space have all been reliably carried over to products developed subsequently.
For example, the theme of “balancing security and minimalism”—which we explored through trial and error during the Storio project—is alive and well in the travel wallet “VOLARE,” which smartly protects items like passports, as well as in the rear-opening system and FIDLOCK operation of the recently released minimalist pouch “Minim.”
Although the Storio product line has been temporarily discontinued, the data and structural ideas gained from that experience continue to underpin SOLAHANPU’s current tool design in a different form.
Minimal Backpack Storio
