the William backpack

The William backpack grew from conversations around daily use. How a bag moves through a day. How it shifts between work and travel, the bag needed to be functional, adaptable and calm in its presence.

William is a product designer based in Milan. His way of working is rooted in function, proportion and material understanding. Design, for him, is not about adding, but about deciding what can be left out.

“The combination of functional versatility and architectural design are the highlights of this bag for me. There are so many functional bags that aren’t aesthetically pleasing and vice versa.

I’m convinced that I will still be using this bag ten years from now, and it will always remind me of this incredible period together with the Lies Mertens team at the start of my career."

— William

The result is a backpack that can also be worn as a briefcase. The construction allows for both, without changing the character of the object. Inside, the bag is structured but not rigid. Two padded laptop compartments sit alongside carefully placed pockets for essentials such as a charger, glasses or headset. Everything is considered, nothing excessive.

We have launched the William bag is a special edition in Crispy calf chocolat. We deliberately chose deadstock leather from French luxury houses, high-quality residual materials that are given a second life. Available in a special edition in Crispy calf, a rare leather achieved by shrinking the hide to create a structured effect and suede-like matte finish. This rare leatherkind is used by only a handful of luxury houses.