Cotopaxi’s newest travel pack, the Luzon Del Dia, released mid-August, tells a unique story. In fact, the design of the pack tells dozens of unique stories, as each one was created from the personal styling of its factory workers.
The Luzon Del Dia was designed by men and women working in the Cotopaxi manufacturing factory in the Philippines in an effort to empower and give workers a voice in the company. Cotopaxi asked each worker to create a different version of the 18L daypack. Currently, there are only 100 Luzon Del Dia packs available, and each one is unique. The design experiment resulted in an explosion of colorful designs and eclectic combinations.
“Filipino’s come from a very bright culture. They are very personable,” said Cotopaxi VP of Production CJ Whittaker, in an exclusive SGB interview. “During holidays they hang banderitas flags around their towns which are very colorful. One Filipino employee told me the Luzon Del Dia is just like those flags at a celebration. Every pack is totally unique, there were no repeats – just like humanity – and that’s what we love about them.”
More and more, Cotopaxi has moved toward untraditional creative processes, from offering a wide range of unisex options, to fashion fused with function urban packs, and a collection release schedule that does not align with pre-ordering. The Cotopaxi way has defined itself as a wildcard in the outdoor industry – a label continued with the Luzon Del Dia.
“Cotopaxi’s intent was to allow our factory employees complete creative freedom…The intent was to allow them to put their personality into the pack, so as the VP of Product I took a step back and let them take the reigns,” said Whittaker.
