Work in Progress

An inside look at the materials, the process, and the travel destinations that shape and inspire our work.
X-ray lightbox image of Dyneema Composite Fabric showing layered laminate construction with UHMWPE fibers
The Film Between
Dyneema Composite Fabric is fifteen times stronger than steel by weight and fully waterproof. It also delaminates at crease points under sustained use. Here is the honest account of both. Read more...
X-ray lightbox image of waxed canvas fabric swatch showing crease patina and internal thread structure
What Stays
The wax in a well-used canvas bag never fully cures. It keeps migrating, darkening the creases, recording how the bag was carried. That process is a material property, not a... Read more...
X-ray of a tall Negroni Sbagliato cocktail glass on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange glass exterior with cobalt blue liquid and ice visible inside
Milan - The Long Aperitivo
The aperitivo is Milan's design specification for the evening, a precise pause the city has been refining for over a century. A curated guide to where to stay, eat, drink,... Read more...
X-ray of a tightly woven cotton fabric swatch on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange fiber weave with cobalt blue internal thread structure visible
Without the Membrane
Before membranes, there was a cotton fabric so tightly woven that its own fibers solved the waterproofing problem. A look at etaProof cotton, the makers who still use it, and... Read more...
Close-up x-ray of a luxury metal zipper slider on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange outer form with cobalt blue internal mechanism visible
The Hand of It
The first time you close a Riri zipper, you notice before you can explain what you've noticed. A short essay on what the luxury zip decision actually means for carry... Read more...
Portuguese pastel de nata egg custard tart, x-ray view showing amber-orange caramelised pastry shell and cobalt blue custard layers, on illuminated lightbox
Lisbon - Weight of Light
Seven hills, a river opening to the Atlantic, and afternoon light that changes the quality of a day. Lisbon rewards unhurried movement and specific choices. Read more...
Waterproof breathable membrane fabric cross-section showing layered construction and open-pore structure, x-ray view on illuminated lightbox
What Breathes
Most waterproof membranes breathe best when you're working hard. Polartec NeoShell was built on a different assumption, and the case it makes for travel outerwear still stands. Read more...
Packable travel jacket compressed into its own pocket, x-ray view showing amber-orange nylon shell and cobalt blue internal structure, on illuminated lightbox
Still In
In May the system shows its hand. What stays in the bag is a design decision you already made, or one you're still paying for. Read more...
Traditional Viennese Einspanner coffee in a tall glass with whipped cream, x-ray view showing amber-orange glass exterior and cobalt blue internal coffee structure on an illuminated lightbox
Vienna - The Long Afternoon
Vienna resists the itinerary. The coffee house has been the city's primary architecture for a reason, and the pace it implies is the most useful way to understand what's worth... Read more...
Cross-section of waterproof fabric showing seam tape bonded to inside surface, x-ray view with amber-orange outer nylon and cobalt blue internal tape and membrane layers on an illuminated lightbox
What the Tape Says
Most buyers of waterproof gear read the membrane spec. But the seam is where performance actually gets tested, and its construction level tells you something honest about what the product... Read more...
Packable travel jacket compressed into a tight bundle, x-ray view showing amber-orange outer shell and cobalt blue internal membrane layers on an illuminated lightbox
June in the Bag
Summer trips are being planned and the bag is being repacked for them. The question of whether the jacket goes in is the wrong question. At the right weight, it... Read more...
X-Pac VX21 diagonal scrim laminate fabric construction, x-ray lightbox
The Diagonal
The crosshatch visible on an X-Pac panel is not a texture choice. It is the surface signature of a structural layer inside the laminate, and the angle of that layer... Read more...