Inspired by the aesthetic of vacuum-formed everyday products, Felix Tai and Jeffrey Leung’s POMCH is one of the more interesting applications of vacuum forming we’ve seen…and is one that a generation of ‘makers’ will almost certainly respond to positively. Having started as an experiment in school, the concept has since launched itself into its own brand and online store.

The project, which was born out of their own curiosities centered around the never-gets-dull process of heating up a sheet of plastic and using suction to pull it over an existing form, is focused on bringing an industrial aesthetic into bags and accessories.

Their company name, PONCH, was derived from a particular sound that the two young designers kept hearing that came from a mysterious “machine”. It is fitting, then, that they are calling their lineup of vacuum-formed fashion goods “Industrial Essentials”.

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While the bag designs themselves offer an interesting commentary on the intersection of fashion and industrialization, perhaps the best part about POMCH is Tai and Leung’s outreach into the community with their pop-up workshops.

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As 3D printing has gained mass appeal, vacuum forming has had little exposure outside of movie prop workshops, prototyping studios and manufacturer warehouses. With their POMCH Workshops, Tai and Leung offer the general public an opportunity to create their own vacuum formed designs and test a variety of plastics and forms on their portable forming table.

Check out their collection and photos of their workshops over at POMCH.

Author

Simon is a Brooklyn-based industrial designer and Managing Editor of EVD Media. When he finds the time to design, his focus is on helping startups develop branding and design solutions to realize their product design vision. In addition to his work at Nike and various other clients, he is the main reason anything gets done at EvD Media. He once wrestled an Alaskan alligator buzzard to the ground with his bare hands… to rescue Josh.