The Icon is a cross-body or over-the-shoulder bag. Tom designed the initial prototyping and rough patterning for the Icon in about three hours. It looked promising, so he spent the next two weeks nuancing the shape, adding a few features and perfecting the pattern. It’s a playful expression of a spontaneous inspiration and it doesn't take itself too seriously: if there is a Muse of Bags, we can say with some certainty that Tom was so visited.

You’ll know whether or not the Icon is for you simply by looking at it. Does it delight you? Are you smiling? There you go.

The Icon has one zippered main compartment and two zippered pockets (smaller one on the front and larger one on the back). Inside the main compartment, there’s a couple of pen slots on the side edge, two open-top pouch-pockets against the front panel for phone or wallet or passport, and two O-ring tether points for key straps (speaking of: one 8" Black Key Strap is included with the Icon) or accessory pouches. There’s two O-ring tether points in each of the two zippered pockets as well. That’s about it.

Akin to our Color Zipper Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches, we’re having some fun experimenting on the Icon with contrast color zippers. And if you find that a bit much, we’re offering a Solid Black Icon: its exterior fabric is black, its zippers are black, even our logo label is dark grey/black instead of the usual colors.

Good to know: the Icon’s main compartment zips entirely shut: this is cool but the compromise is that the opening is somewhat smaller than you might expect (only about 9.4” / 240mm). This means that some items which could fit inside the bag won’t fit through the zipper opening. Just thought you’d want to know.

But you know us: even in the most simple of designs, we make an effort to sneak in a bit of innovation. The Icon is the first bag to utilize the Rabbit Hole design solution engineered by Tom that hides excess shoulder strap length; instead of dangling down or doubling back on the strap, the excess webbing of the Icon’s shoulder strap seamlessly disappears down into a hidden rabbit hole in the side of the bag. 

Will the Rabbit Hole shoulder strap design work for everyone? Quite simply, no. Feeding the excess webbing into the hidden rabbit hole takes a little bit of time and effort; it’s effort we feel is worth it if you don’t adjust your strap all that often, as it’s an elegant solution for excess strap webbing. 

You’ll appreciate the Rabbit Hole shoulder strap design if…..

You’re a set-it-and-forget-it type shoulder strap person. In other words, you adjust the length of your shoulder strap only occasionally. 

You don’t like excess shoulder strap webbing hanging down; you prefer clean lines and a trim aesthetic. 

Height-wise, you’re a shorter person, or, for some other reason, you want to be able to adjust the strap down to be quite short, and possibly even handle length. (Though, of course, the Icon works great for taller folks as well due to how adjustable the strap is.)

You’d like the ability to remove the included shoulder pad entirely (using just the webbing as the strap or perhaps replacing our pad with one you’ve made yourself.) 

The Rabbit Hole shoulder strap design probably is not for you if….

You frequently adjust the length of your shoulder strap. 

You want the shoulder strap to be fully removable.

Some messenger-style bags with quick adjust buckles have straps that are sewn to the bag; others do not, and the Icon is one of those that do not.If you fail to fully close the cam buckle, or you open the cam buckle without first setting the bag on to a surface (like while you’re wearing the bag), it might fall to the ground. Just like how, if you’re wearing a cross-body bag with a side release buckle strap (so, like a Side Effect worn cross-body sling bag style) and if you undo that buckle, it’d fall to the ground. So, definitely don’t do that, but if you think you might, we recommend taking a look at our Small and Medium Cafe Bags instead — they have sewn-in shoulder straps.