nik bentel's mathematics-inspired 'orb bag' gets a shiny finish for a warping mirror effect

Nik bentel unveils the mirror-like orb bag

Nik Bentel’s recent release, The Orb Bag, which is inspired by the mathematical surfaces known as the ‘Dupin Cyclide,’ looks as if the wearer brings their own handheld, distorting mirror everywhere they go. Its shiny chrome finish reflects anyone and anything, and when the user holds up The Orb Bag to their line of sight, they may be able to see who’s walking or what’s happening behind them, like a rearview mirror for cars but in a warped fashion.

But this isn’t the original aim of Nik Bentel when he thought of making The Orb Bag. He wanted to create an object shaped like a handbag that could warp light. He aces it using the chrome finish, but to make the handbag as perfectly and precisely shaped as possible, the designer, who also made the pastry box in Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel into a real-life bag, turned to mathematics and equations.

images courtesy Nik Bentel Studio | photos by Mia Teresa

Design inspired by the math equation of ‘Dupin Cyclide’

In a nutshell, Nik Bentel’s Orb Bag is inspired by the algebraic surfaces known as the ‘Dupin Cyclide.’ It resembles a smooth, curved ‘blob’ or a giant croissant (with the two ends connecting) but in a 3D shape. The Dupin Cyclide takes a flat shape, like an oval or a squashed circle called a conic section, and spins it around an axis without touching the oval at all. As the oval spins, this smooth, curved shape is created.

When Nik Bentel and his team came across this math equation, they used it as an idea to make their Orb Bag, capturing the shape of the Dupin Cyclide with ease. It’s safe to say then that they turn a mathematical calculation into an orb bag, finished with a high-shine chrome to mirror and warp the reflecting surroundings.

Nik Bentel’s Orb Bag, with a mirror-like style in inspired by the ‘Dupin Cyclide’

Hidden magnetic clasp for Nik Bentel’s Orb Bag

Nik Bentel’s Orb Bag is also made with acrylic using a two-part injection mold. Its interior is lined with metallic leather, and there’s a hidden magnetic clasp inside instead of outside to make the shape smooth when the wearer closes it. This clasps allows for the uninterrupted look of the mirror-like surface. When the Orb Bag spins, it may resemble a coin whirling before it tumbles down.

When the user holds it, the Orb Bag can look like a black hole as all the light gets drawn into the bag, warping everything around it. Its mirror surface may make an ideal tool for a quick outfit and face check, too. As of publishing the story, Nik Bentel’s Orb Bag has a price tag of 250 USD and is only limited to 150 units. Fans receive a dust bag alongside this mirror-like orb, as well as a unique verification token to prove their ownership.

the Dupin Cyclide-inspired Orb Bag by Nik Bentel mirrors the surroundings in a warped fashion