Two USC students design line of cork-skin backpacks


Photo courtesy of Victor Luo I’ve got your back(pack) · Vince Durden, a Los Angeles-based accessory brand, created a line of eco-friendly cork backpacks. The cork that the backpacks are made of can be stripped without being harmed.

Photo courtesy of Victor Luo
I’ve got your back(pack) · Vince Durden, a Los Angeles-based accessory brand, created a line of eco-friendly cork backpacks. The cork that the backpacks are made of can be stripped without being harmed.

Los Angeles-based accessory brand Vince Durden is in the process of creating the world’s most eco-friendly backpack. On Thursday, the brand announced that it will be raising funds via a rewards/equity crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

The company is setting out to raise $2000 within 30 days to finish development and produce the first batch of their new product design. 

Created by USC computer science/business administration student junior Hexi Xiao and USC alum Hubert Mou, Vince Durden aims to design and create backpacks that are made from completely sustainable materials. They strive for an aesthetic that is both modern and stylish, with a natural and minimalist twist.

“These days, people get caught up in the pressures and demands of the daily work and school grind. We want our products to inspire people to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us and how we can incorporate that natural beauty into everyday, sustainable designs,” Xiao said.

Xiao explained that the inspiration behind his brand name Vince Durden was inspired by his two favorite characters, Vince Chase from TV series Entourage and Tyler Durden from the film Fight Club. He admires both Durden and Chase’s ambition and love for life. These are the traits that he wants his customers, his brand and his backpacks to embody.

“I want Vince Durden to represent those who wake up with a big smile, who have their own story to tell and who live every moment on this earth to its fullest.”

Xiao and Mou first learned of the sustainable benefits of cork skin when they serendipitously saw a video about cork on a TED Talk by chef and restaurant owner  Patrick Spencer. The TEDxSaken talk, “From bark to bottle,” explained how Spencer focused on sustainable business practices to expand his career.

Xiao and Mou were inspired and motivated by Spencer’s story and how he became a world leader in both conservation and entrepreneurship and decided to follow in his footsteps.

Vince Durden prides itself on the backpack’s cork skin, which is shaved from the outer layer of the cork oak tree. The material is the single most sustainable and environmentally friendly resource.

Vince Durden goes through intensive manufacturing processes.

In production, the cork regenerates itself every nine years and shaving the bark doesn’t harm the tree, but rather helps it grow stronger to live up to 300 years. The entire production process is free of pollution.

The accessory brand hopes to make the dream, which combining fashion and environment, come true. Those who want to back the project can go on vincedurden.com. You can follow the brand on Instagram at @vince_durden.

Vince Durden is on its way to fulfilling its dream of not only environmentally conscious, but elegant and simple backpacks.Xiao hopes that the brand will become a go-to for both aesthetic and sustainability purposes. Each backpack is currently priced at $95.  Vince Durden exists for one sole purpose — to be a symbol for a lifestyle that combines a love for fashion and appreciation for nature.