The concept of Northwest Collection began when we acquired a durable 1680 polyester material from the outdoor gear industry. Pairing it with excess leather from the bag industry created a unique aesthetic in the form of a bag that any of us would be proud to tote as part of our everyday carry.

A messenger bag was the first product we developed. First and foremost, it needed to easily and safely stow our laptops. But then we packed it with enough internal pockets, sleeves and pen holders that we'd always be organized. A light-colored blue lining was chosen so those small items that always seem to disappear into the netherworld that we call our bags could be located.

However, it wasn't enough.

Since we all enjoy taking photos so much, we then created a camera case that could pair perfectly with it, and transform it into a stealth camera bag.

The messenger bag was quickly followed up with a backpack — for those of us in the office that prefer packs — but maintained the feature set and great looks that made us all so fond of the bag. 

Being makers of bags and packs, we all tend to get a little obsessed with the items we carry daily, so we stopped one day to look at the daily carry of two of our employees: Jason and Nick.

Jason prefers to pack light, and other than his laptop, his daily carry consists of a multi-tool for emergency bike repairs, a set of headphones, sunglasses, and a phone charger. Plus of course, his Fuji mirrorless camera, which accompanies him everywhere. 

Nick often takes the long way home to shoot photos of nature. On those days, he leaves the laptop at the office to carry a Nikon DSLR, a second lens, and a flash. His notebook, pens, charger, and snacks are always within easy reach. 

When not shooting photos, the camera insert is easy to pull out, converting the bags back to commuter mode. It also pairs well with other bags and packs.