Here I am talking about summer bags (from Fastrack) and you are wondering, summer is long gone. But my oh my, does summer ever end? (at least it never does in Mumbai)
Now even if you’re not a big timer TV viewer, you couldn’t have possibly missed the uber-cool Fastrack TV advertisement (featuring their summer handbag), where you spot this young hot college gal waking to an alarm in boy’s hostel, hurriedly grabbing her stripey bag and getting dressed en route while crossing the lawns and jumping through the wall. The ad ends with: ‘Wanna move on? Blame Fastrack’. I absolutely loved it and its fab music (btw if you’re wondering the Fastrack ad is playing the no. Short Skirt Long Jacket by Cake).
Young, fun and carefree the summer bags ad of Fastrack definitely hits a chord with the young generation, and it even tickled my inquisitive bone to check out how these bags are after all. They sure looked interesting on screen.
And finally, the two bags from their collection landed on my lap (literally). A stripey tote and a colourful hobo bag – the two key styles around which Fastrack Summer collection revolves (they come in different permutation combination of colours and stripes). I am turning into an ace photographer and before you are mistaken let me tell you the pictures below are my click (I can see a scowl on my photographer buddy) …..
It’s great to see a collection staying true to its vision – Fastrack Summer bags are all about bright colours and nautical stripes that shout out SUMMER loud and come in cotton canvas. The collection perfectly targets the college students and beach bums – because there’s absolutely no other place I would want to be seen carrying this along considering the fabric, style and quality.
The tote is extremely roomy – it can really hold a mass of clutter (and a huge mass for that)… In fact, the size of it got me thinking that even the petite me can curl up and roll in the bag to perfection. Weird. Ok no kidding this tote indeed is roomy that you can stack a couple of big notebooks, a fancy looking camera, house and car keys, all that makeup junk (am thinking gloss, comb, compact, tissues, mini perfume, face mist, tweezer, YSL touche eclat and a lipstick), wallet, phone, pens. And then some mint, on the rare occasion, a pair of extra flip flops, a bottle of water tuck in the outer pocket and it will still probably have some space to curl me in. That does not guarantee your shoulder’s health and how long the bag will last, but it sure can do all this accommodating. Caveat Emptor: fill it up at your own risk as the design of the bag will lead to excess rummaging when all that clutter is stacked in it (think Indian jhola? but cooler and better looking).
The hobo, is a hobo with a hobo-ish shape, but too slouchy. Enough to carry regular handbag essentials (not the notebooks like the tote did). With the embroidered fast track logo on the front, internal zip pocket, and zip closing on top this canvas hobo can be carried with the summer beachy look.
Final Verdict: Finally I summon you to tell that Fastrack has definitely done an awesome job with their marketing – TV and print both are so tempting that they almost seduce you to hit a BUY button on these bags or atleast check them out once. Unlike the Lavie adverts that bombarded on the TV few weeks back, featuring Kareena Kapoor. I didn’t even like the bags in those ads on television, God alone knows how would they look in-person….. only if bag was a person. Know what I mean? No? This is awkward.
Ok I lost track, back to the bag and not the ad.
True, unbiased, final verdict on Fastrack bag (on a serious note….no pun) – The colours are cool and the bags certainly have the summer vibe. But quality-price arithmetic is holding me back (the bags retail at Rs 1595-1695). What I love most about these bags are they are vegan – free from any leather or animal cruelty. Canvas quality is poor, the quality of bag fittings (like zip) need real upgradation, the mobile pocket looks unshapely (like it’s been forced to be placed where and how it is placed).
The young urban college crowd is price sensitive and the bags have serious competition from the myriad street shopping stores that offer similar styles (and quality, maybe not as good but match-able). So if you’re charging a premium, you ought to deliver better. Certainly the magic of marketing works, so does the brand name. And Fastrack has certainly gained popularity in a short span.
I pulled images of hobos and totes in happy colours, and classic stripes photographed below from Fastrack.in for you.
Now, tell me what do you think? Have you checked these bag out yet? Which is your favorite? Least?
Note: This is a sponsored post, the product was free but the opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.
