Design and innovation consultancy, Morrama has teamed up with Italian luggage brand, Phoenix to develop the Tela luggage range - a collection of minimal suitcases designed to bring together sustainability, durability and aesthetics.

Tela was designed with sustainability in mind. The shell of each suitcase is crafted from a blend of aerospace-grade polycarbonate, with 30% derived from recycled materials for sustainable and durable construction.

All components including the wheels and handles can be easily replaced with a single screwdriver due to the open and accessible design.    

Phoenix is also implementing a take-back scheme to rescue, repair and recycle broken or unwanted suitcases, encouraging a more circular product life cycle.

Phoenix is a planet-conscious luggage brand, with ambitions to ‘strive to redefine what it means to travel’. Morrama designed the collection based on Phoenix's four brand pillars: design for disassembly, design for circularity, design for modularity, and design for desire.

The ‘Tela’ range, which is Italian for canvas, features a completely blank front which the team hopes will help the suitcase act as a ‘blank canvas’.

Jo Barnard, Founder and CEO, Morrama, explained: “We deliberately kept the front face of the suitcase completely free from distractions. Every bump, scratch and sticker represents a travel memory and it is something a user should cherish. We also wanted the design to serve as a blank slate for any future artist collaborations, and allow for endless customisation possibilities.”

Francesco Salom, Founder of Phoenix, added “Products have feelings too; they are filled with our energy, creating a sort of magnetism. They are like people—they speak to us in their own language. Designing the new TELA 40 required humble humanity and a lot of passion. As a person with a dream I couldn't have asked for a better family than Morrama to bring Tela to life."

The collaboration underlines that when it comes to sustainable innovation, marketing alone is not the solution. Sustainable innovation must instead live within the new product development cycle.