Are you a Radiohead fan? Do you really, really want the world to know you're a Radiohead fan, aesthetics and affordability be damned? Are you a recovering soft boy with money to burn?If you answered yes to any of the aforementioned questions, then I've got great news: Radiohead's longtime designer Stanley Donwood has teamed up with sustainable bag company Millican for a new rucksack inspired by the band's most recent album, last year's A Moon Shaped Pool. It's available now on Millican and Radiohead's respective web-stores, for the low, low price of $110.Expensive, you say? Think again: Each backpack is crafted from forty recycled plastic bottles, which means that by buying this $110 backpack, you are saving the world. That is a priceless experience, so in essence, the accessory pays for itself, karmically speaking
And then there are the specs: adjustable shoulder straps (!), a padded laptop sleeve (!!!), a zippered pouch (!!!!), and what the Radiohead store bills, mysteriously, as "hidden functions that make life easier on the road." Of course, you could go the DIY route (toss a few leaky ink cartridges in a garden-variety tote bag, shake it a few times, et voila) or just buy a t-shirt like everyone else. Who needs the polar bears, anyway?All cynicism aside, Radiohead's latest merch provides yet another example of their band's noble history of environmental activism: a cause the group championed as artists and individuals years before most politicians–let alone members of the general public–viewed "going green" as an urgent global imperative. But as is the case with all pieces of eco-friendly merch co-signed by a band of this scale, the bag begs the question: If Radiohead really want to save the earth with the help of their ardent fans, why not just round up some bottles, autograph them, and watch the cash pour in? Or better yet, if you want a memorable experience tied to Radiohead, well, why not just save your money and dig through a landfill while listening to A Moon Shaped Pool? Just like the smell of burning trash, the memories will always linger, and memories are priceless.Follow Zoe Camp on Twitter.
And then there are the specs: adjustable shoulder straps (!), a padded laptop sleeve (!!!), a zippered pouch (!!!!), and what the Radiohead store bills, mysteriously, as "hidden functions that make life easier on the road." Of course, you could go the DIY route (toss a few leaky ink cartridges in a garden-variety tote bag, shake it a few times, et voila) or just buy a t-shirt like everyone else. Who needs the polar bears, anyway?All cynicism aside, Radiohead's latest merch provides yet another example of their band's noble history of environmental activism: a cause the group championed as artists and individuals years before most politicians–let alone members of the general public–viewed "going green" as an urgent global imperative. But as is the case with all pieces of eco-friendly merch co-signed by a band of this scale, the bag begs the question: If Radiohead really want to save the earth with the help of their ardent fans, why not just round up some bottles, autograph them, and watch the cash pour in? Or better yet, if you want a memorable experience tied to Radiohead, well, why not just save your money and dig through a landfill while listening to A Moon Shaped Pool? Just like the smell of burning trash, the memories will always linger, and memories are priceless.Follow Zoe Camp on Twitter.