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New York-based designer Nik Bentel has unveiled the RC Car Handbag, a leather accessory that functions as a fully operational remote-control car.
Designed to blur the lines between fashion and function, the playful piece aims to challenge conventional ideas of what a handbag can be.
Bentel, who is known for his whimsical and experimental approach to design, created the RC Car Handbag as a nod to childhood nostalgia.
"The idea came from childhood toys and the thrill of movement – taking something inherently playful and unexpected and turning it into a luxury object," Bentel told Dezeen. "It's about merging nostalgia with high fashion in a way that feels both absurd and sophisticated."
The bag nods to childhood nostalgia
Like Bentel's past projects, including a croissant handbag and a hotdog purse, the RC Car Handbag explores the intersection of fashion, art and function.
The handbag is crafted from matte-black leather and features a fully functional four-wheel-drive system controlled by a remote, allowing it to drift and navigate spaces like a vintage toy car.
"The RC Car Handbag taps into collective childhood memories, but reinterprets them through craftsmanship and luxury materials," Bentel explained.
"It's about revisiting those playful instincts in an unexpected way and also an experiment in wearability – how far can you push an accessory before it becomes something else entirely?"
