JumpFromPaper: Cartoons for handbags

People love cartoons and people love handbags, so why not combine the two and make cartoon handbags? It can’t be done, you say? Cartoons are just drawings; they can’t become real-life, physical things. Well, have a look at these surreal creations and think again!

At first glance, the bags seem like they’re straight out of the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit; the unrealistic boldness of the colours, the thick black outlines and 2D shape look out of place and surreal, but these designs are genuine, practical totes and satchels. The Taiwanese brand behind the colourful bags, JumpFromPaper, wants to bring some playfulness into our lives in order to “fulfil everyone’s childhood fantasies”.

Reminding us that clothes aren’t meant to be all black and stoically severe, the cartoon bags aren’t as simple as they look: the clever design plays with the rules of visual effects, challenging our perceptions of what is real and seemingly making a cartoon drawing come to life in the process.

“Our collections are always inspired by those misspent times on cartoons and comics during our childhood! Our team are all heavy internet users and love collecting things. We’ve been collecting funny and weird pictures and quotes, and have a huge wall in our HQ for it all. For us, anything with a sense of humour could be inspiration.”

The bags are fully functional with pockets, flaps and fastenings, and can even fit the items you’d usually put in a bag for day-to-day use, as well as bigger items such as books and laptops. The popularity of the bags has been spreading and JumpFromPaper now have a more fashion-focused line alongside their original designs with a menswear collection also added.

Fashion should be fun: taking a few risks and wearing something playful would make us all smile a little more. Maybe Taiwanese design shows more courage than that of the Western world, thinking outside the lines of traditional fashion and daring to create something to make people laugh.

Rebecca Saunders

Want to get your hands on a piece of cartoony fun? Check out www.jumpfrompaper.com, prices range from £50-£100.