Every Bag Has a Beginning
People often ask me where my ideas come from. The truth is that I don’t have a simple answer. Every design has its own story, and none of my bags were created in the same way. This is the story of the very first one.
Today it’s called the ICON Bag, but when I created it, I had no idea it would become the beginning of UniUkiyo.
Where the Idea Came From
The first idea came to me in May 2013 during a Depeche Mode concert at Ušće Park in Belgrade. I was there with friends, enjoying the concert like everyone else. I wasn’t thinking about work or designing something new. At one point, a very clear image appeared in my mind. I could immediately see the shape of the bag, the way it would be be worn, and how it would sit on the body. When I got home that night, I couldn’t sleep before putting the idea on paper.
At the time, I was already working on a new fashion collection, so I opened my sketchbook and quickly drew a few simple versions of what I had seen. They weren’t finished drawings. They were just a few lines—enough to make sure I wouldn’t lose the idea.
That is something I still do today.
When an idea comes to me, I don’t always develop it immediately. I usually give it a little time. Sometimes a few days are enough. During that time, the design becomes clearer in my mind. I start seeing the details naturally—how something opens and closes, how it is worn, how it moves, how it feels, and how every part should function.
I’ve learned not to rush that process. For me, the best ideas become stronger when I give them a little space before bringing them to life.
From Sketch to Reality
Although the idea came to me in 2013, the bag itself wasn’t created until 2014. The reason was simple. At that time, I was fully focused on producing my fashion collections and preparing for the upcoming season. Most of my time was dedicated to dresses, skirts, coats, and custom garments, including ballroom dance costumes.
Leather had already been part of my collections, but only as a detail. Designing an entire leather piece was something completely new for me, so I knew I wanted to take my time and do it properly.
Once my production schedule became less demanding, I returned to those first sketches.
I met with the craftsman I worked with, we selected the leather together, discussed the construction, tested different proportions, and slowly transformed the original idea into the very first ICON Bag. Looking back today, I realize that I wasn’t simply creating a new product.
I was taking the first step toward something much bigger than I could have imagined at the time.
How It Got Its Name
When I first created this bag in 2014, it didn’t have a name. At the time, it was simply a design I believed in and wanted to bring to life.
Years later, when I officially founded UniUkiyo as a bag brand, it became known as the Classic Bag because it was the very first design in the collection.
As the brand continued to evolve, so did the collection. Today, that same design is called the ICON Bag—a name that reflects the role it has played in the story of UniUkiyo and the beginning of everything that followed.
Today, the ICON Bag remains one of UniUkiyo’s signature designs and is protected as part of the brand’s original intellectual property.
Designing Something Different
From the beginning, I wanted this bag to be practical, but I also wanted it to look different from anything I had seen before.
The ICON Bag combines the comfort of a backpack with the elegance of a sculptural fashion piece. It follows the shape of the body and can be worn in several different ways, making it both functional and distinctive. One of my favorite parts of presenting this design has always been watching people’s reactions. Many people don’t immediately know what they’re looking at.
Some see a backpack.
Others see a handbag.
Some even think of it as part of the clothing itself.
That curiosity has followed the bag ever since, and I still enjoy hearing people’s first impressions.
Presenting the Bag in New York
In February 2016, I presented the ICON Bag during Art Hearts Fashion as part of New York Fashion Week.
It was also my first visit to New York. Naturally, I wore my bag everywhere I went. What surprised me most was how often complete strangers stopped me to ask about it.
People approached me on the street, in the subway, and in different parts of the city. Some wanted to know where it came from. Others simply asked if they could take a photo because they had never seen anything like it before. Until then, I had never experienced people reacting to one of my designs in such a spontaneous way.
It was a wonderful reminder that original design naturally starts conversations.
Looking Back
When I designed the ICON Bag, I thought I was creating one bag. I didn’t know it would become the beginning of UniUkiyo. Today, every design that followed can be traced back to those first sketches I made after a concert in Belgrade.
Looking back, I’m grateful that I trusted that first idea enough to keep developing it. One thing my work has taught me is that inspiration is only the beginning.
The real process happens afterward—when you give an idea enough time to mature, solve every detail, and finally turn it into something people can use and enjoy for years. That is how the ICON Bag was created.
And that is how my journey with UniUkiyo truly began.
Marina Micanovic
