Best-Selling Sherpani Bag the Soleil Wins Global Innovation Award

The Sherpani team has some special news to share! Last week in Chicago, our best selling Anti-Theft bag, the Soleil, received the Global Innovation Award (GIA) for Excellence in Product Design!

A globally recognized honor from the International Housewares Association (IHA), the Soleil was chosen over four other finalists in the Luggage, Travel Goods and Accessories category. The awards are part of The Inspired Home Show, an organization with a rich trade show history. Though the IHA was recognizing and celebrating standout designs long before, the IHA Global Innovation Awards for Product Design officially began in 2016. This year’s awards took place on Saturday March 4th, 2023.

The remaining finalists offered some tough competition. These innovative products by respectable brands included a device that prevents pump style bottles from dripping during travel, and a sleeping bag the user can wear during a flight. We knew, however, that our product design would hold its own. When it comes to this tried and true Sherpani favorite, we couldn’t help but think that the Soleil had it - pun intended - in the bag.

So what is it about the Soleil’s design that earned us this prestigious award? We’re glad you asked.

While the concept of an Anti-Theft bag is not new, the products on the market were offering bulky solutions at best. At worst, manufacturers might as well have been attaching backpack straps to a safe.

Sherpani reinvented the Anti-Theft bag with the Soleil by creating a lovable, functional bag that was designed for women to have peace of mind every day, in every place.

The cumbersome bulk of the existing Anti-Theft bags would encourage users to return from travel and, unsurprisingly, banish the heavy bag to the back of the storage closet. It seemed most Anti-Theft bags were essentially being treated as single use purchases. As a sustainably minded company, this isn’t something we were thrilled about.

The Soleil’s everyday functionality negates single use consumerism. The bag is made from 100% recycled materials, and features vegan leather accents. The Soleil makes for a responsible and sustainable purchase; in fact, each Soleil diverts forty plastic bottles from landfills and waterways.

The Soleil has a unique three-in-one style functionality; it can be worn as a backpack, crossbody or tote. The padded backpack straps can be tucked away and hidden, the crossbody strap is adjustable and completely detachable, while the shorter tote handles provide a fun and functional asset to the design.

When it comes to security, Sherpani’s staple Anti-Theft features have every globetrotter covered: RFID protection, locking zipper compartments, wire-loop chair lock, ReturnMe tag and a slash proof bottom and strap.

Most slash proof material is achieved through internal wiring, resulting in a heavier product and, in all likelihood, shoulder pain for its carrier. Sherpani’s proprietary wireless slash proof strap is a standout feature; the first and only of its kind to provide comfort and safety in one.

Dining on an outdoor patio? That’s where the chair lock comes into play, an easy to use system that secures the bag to a chair. Worried about petty theft on public transportation? The external pockets of the Soleil have locking zippers. Concerned about cyber security at a big conference? RFID stops cyber theft in its tracks. The bag also features a ReturnMe tag, connecting it to a highly successful user generated network that acts as an international lost and found.

We wanted to create an Anti-Theft bag that was fashionable and functional. Useable and reusable. Comfortable and comforting. The Soleil is a lightweight, every day solution to security. Made with sustainable material and responsible business practices, Sherpani’s award winning design is the must-have bag for the world traveler.

A big thank you to the folks at The Inspired Home Show for the recognition. We are honored to have accepted the GIA for one of our favorite Sherpani products, the Soleil. We appreciate your support as we continue to do what we do best; design the best bags for women who love, and live, to travel.