The Ownever 2157 Bag
When design becomes a manifesto
At Ownever, we believe fashion should not exist only for appearance. It must have a voice, memory, and above all, responsibility. The 2157 bag was born from this principle: to be more than a luxury accessory; to be a silent yet powerful manifesto about one of the greatest injustices of our time – gender and pay inequality.
In a world where trends shift by the second, the 2157 reminds us that some changes take centuries. Literally.
What does 2157 mean?
The number that gives this piece its name is not arbitrary. It comes from a disturbing fact published by the World Economic Forum: at the current pace, pay equality between women and men will only be achieved in the year 2157.
If luxury is timeless, this projection is unacceptably eternal. Waiting more than a hundred years for women to receive the same as men for the same work is a cruel portrait of a world that insists on lagging behind.
The 2157 bag is, therefore, both a reminder and a provocation. An invitation not to accept the date as destiny, but to anticipate change.
Between craftsmanship and activism
Ownever was born with the mission of giving a stage to Portuguese master artisans, often the last guardians of crafts on the verge of extinction. Each bag is a testimony of savoir-faire passed down through generations.
The 2157 respects this heritage, but adds a new meaning: Portuguese craftsmanship as a vehicle of social transformation.
Portugal is a country of embroiderers, leather cutters, masters of hand-stitching - professions where women were often silent protagonists, under-recognised and, at times, underpaid. The 2157 honours this legacy.
International recognition
The symbolism and design of the 2157 bag have already been distinguished on international stages of design and creativity.
Among the awards received are:
- Lusófonos da Criatividade, where it was celebrated as a piece that unites tradition and contemporaneity;
- Creativepool Awards, in London, where it was recognised not only for aesthetics but also for the strength of its message of equality.
These awards are not mere trophies. They are confirmation that design can be a political and social manifesto. That a bag can carry more than objects: it can carry a cause.
Gender equality is more than salaries
The 2157 does not speak only about wages. It speaks about equality of opportunities.
According to UN Women, women still perform, on average, 2.5 times more unpaid domestic and care work than men. This means less time for their careers, less visibility, fewer opportunities.
According to the European Commission, the average gender pay gap in the European Union is 12.7%. It may seem a small figure, but it translates into a lifetime of economic inequality.
Carrying the 2157 is a reminder that inequality is structural - and that it will only be overcome if continuously denounced and fought.
A personal vision: not waiting until 2157
We cannot view the date as inevitable. The number that names the bag should serve as provocation. A kind of moral deadline.
Letting equality arrive only in 2157 would mean accepting that our daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters will continue to face the same obstacles as so many women before them.
The 2157 proposes something different: to anticipate the future. To make equality not a distant horizon but a conquest of the present.
Design as a symbol
The design of the 2157 was conceived as a play between strength and subtlety:
- Firm lines, evoking determination.
- Precise details, reflecting the minutiae of craftsmanship.
- Responsible luxury, proving that sophistication does not need waste or exploitation.
It is a bag for those who know that dressing is also a form of positioning.
Ownever means sustainable luxury with conscience
At Ownever we reject the ephemeral. We work with luxury leather, including repurposed hides from international fashion houses, avoiding waste and giving a second life to materials that would otherwise be discarded.
The 2157 is part of this philosophy: slow fashion, craftsmanship, and an ethical commitment to the planet and to society.
Here, sustainability is not marketing. It is legacy.
Stories that inspire
When we created the 2157, we remembered the stories of women who defied the impossible:
- Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, the first woman to vote in Portugal (1911), who opened the way for many.
- Rosa Parks, in the USA, whose act of refusal changed the history of civil rights.
- The Madeira embroiderers, who for centuries worked in silence to dress aristocratic households across Europe, but were rarely given recognition proportional to their talent.
The 2157 is also a tribute to these women - and to all those who continue to fight, in their professions and daily lives, for equality.
When fashion meets reports
The 2157 bag was inspired by serious reports, such as the Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum. It was not the result of intuition or trend, but of concrete data.
And it is precisely this collision between cold statistics and emotional luxury that gives the piece its power.
If a report tells us that equality will only arrive in 2157, the Ownever 2157 bag replies: we do not accept it.
A timeless accessory but an urgent cause
Fashion has the power to immortalise symbols. Just as certain colours or cuts have become associated with social movements throughout history, we believe that the Portuguese 2157 bag can be remembered as the bag that refused to wait.
Because true luxury is not only to own. It is to take a stand.
Final words: carrying the future
The 2157 is a rare bag. Not only because of its artisanal quality, nor because of its limited edition, but because it carries a narrative that surpasses it.
By wearing it, you do not only carry objects. You carry an ideal. A promise that the year 2157 will remain only a symbol, not a destiny.
At Ownever we believe the future can - and must - be anticipated. The 2157 is our contribution so that equality ceases to be a distant projection and becomes a present reality.
