Nendo: Kame

Nendo developed a suitcase collection for Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano named Kame, “tortoise” in Japanese, for its structural resemblance to the animal with its hard shell.

A hybrid polycarbonate-fabric suitcase for the Italian brand Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano.

The polycarbonate body is light yet strong, and the cloth lid supple for easier packing. The suitcase has been called Kame, “tortoise” in Japanese, for this structural resemblance to the animal with its hard shell.

Unlike most suitcases, the lid unzips from the top as well as the side, making it easy to take things in and out of the suitcase when it’s upright. It also rolls up neatly so that the suitcase can be opened even in tight spaces like cars and crowded, busy corridors. The rolled-up lid can be fastened with an elasticised band which doubles as a fastener for the suitcase itself when not in use. The inside lining comes with two mesh pockets and is easily configurable for contents of different volumes.

The lids of most hard suitcases are heavy to open and close, because they’re also used for storage, but this suitcase is easy to open and close by rolling the lid to the side. By fastening the suitcase with a cable lock, we could use a ring zipper that’s easy to hook through a finger and open.

The cable lock also allows the suitcase to be locked to a post or handrail like a bicycle. Nendo didn’t forget to have fun with the design, either, and turned the ‘0’ on the lock’s number dial into a smiley face. The suitcase comes in four colours, shiro white, sun orange, eclipse blue, and wasabi green, and in one size: a 550mm cabin case.