Go behind the collaboration Crumpler x búl: Fruits of the Forest
To celebrate the launch of Fruits of the Forest, we sat down with Virginia Martin, Creative Director of Crumpler and Founder of búl, to explore the story behind the collection. From the first spark of an idea to the final prototypes, Virginia shares insight into how Crumpler’s signature functionality meets búl’s refined, natural aesthetic. Discover the inspiration, design details, and creative journey that brought Fruits of the Forest to life.
Shop Fruits of the Forest Collection
About Crumpler
What first sparked the idea to bring Crumpler and Búl together for this collaboration?
V. I was Crumpler’s first retail employee, worked in store for 10 years, and then went on to create búl. Coming back to also run Crumpler, alongside my stepdad and Crumpler co-founder Dave, made this collaboration feel natural. It bridged both worlds, bringing a bit of búl’s softness and fashion-forward approach into Crumpler’s world.
What inspired the name “Fruits of the Forest”?
V. Crumpler always goes for quirky, offbeat names. Dave has a huge whiteboard with a constantly evolving list of ideas. There were a lot of obscure options before landing on Fruits of the Forest. For the photoshoot, we leaned into the concept too with a playful “fruit picking” narrative, where a giant hand seems to be plucking the bags in each shot. It just felt fun and whimsical.
Can you share a bit about the creative process, from concept sketches to final prototypes?
V. I worked closely with the Crumpler designer Zac, using fabrics we hadn’t tried before to make something softer and more feminine. We developed quilted interiors and elasticated exterior openings to give these plump, rounded, reversible shapes, which was very different from the usual Crumpler style. We experimented with striped webbing trims, started with one shape, and then morphed it into three styles. We played with zips, gussets, quilting linings, and introduced a reversible element which was a first for Crumpler. Each bag offers a subdued exterior, but when reversed, it reveals bright block colours, exposed zips, and quilting that becomes the hero of the design. I wanted it to feel more like clothing than traditional bag design. It became a true collaborative experiment.
What inspired the design choices and colour details in this collaboration?
V. We blended colours from both Crumpler and búl palettes. During the process, we actually discovered a new Crumpler colour, ‘Spice,’ which was inspired by one of búl’s studio-designed prints. It’s now one of Crumpler’s latest colour additions. For this collection there are three variations with multi-coloured webbing in olive, black and baby blue, the blue drawn from a dress style we released a few seasons ago.
Were there any surprising moments or design breakthroughs during development?
V. There was a lot of tweaking and back-and-forth to create that plump shape, it was a lot tougher than we expected. We made many prototypes in-house in Melbourne. Each iteration brought something new, and the whole process really reinforced that this was a complete collaboration.
With early beginnings working at Crumpler, to now being the Creative Director, does this partnership feel like a full-circle moment creatively?
V. Absolutely. Starting out as a sales assistant and now being part of shaping the creative direction of the brand and creating something like this for búl feels really special. It’s like the two worlds I’ve been a part of have come together naturally, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the vision realised in a way that’s playful, soft, and distinctly both of our brands.
Shop Fruits of the Forest Collection
Campaign: Crumpler & búl team
Models: Flynn & Jessica @mother.agency
Photographer: Tim Hillier @tshillier
Hair & Makeup: Efi Tzagarakis @efi_t_makeup
Stylist: Abby Bennett @bennett_abby
