Crumpler is an Australian bag brand and manufacturer from Melbourne, Australia, Established in 1995, Crumpler's is known for its colourful designs and quirky humorous marketing.[4] The brand is also used by Crumpler Europe which is a completely separate company with no affiliation, designing and producing a different range.
History
Crumpler was founded in Melbourne in 1995 by Dave Roper (ex-bike courier and co-founder of Minuteman Messengers), and sculptor/furniture maker/bike courier Stuart Crumpler. Stuart designed the original Crumpler logo in 1991 which he branded onto his furniture designs.[5] Will Miller who was a business partner of Dave at Minuteman came in later as a 3rd partner. From the beginning, the bags were designed for bike messengers, in particular those working for David Roper and Will Miller's bike courier company, Minuteman. The range grew to include more options in colours and sizes. The story goes Minuteman needed better bags and Dave approached Stuart who was working part-time as a bike courier and asked if he could make 20 for the fleet. The simple shoulder bags were much more practical for the job than a backpack (no need to remove completely to access the contents). After making gradual improvements to the materials and design Stuart & Dave met at The George Hotel in St Kilda and decided to start a bag company.
Stuart Crumpler sold his share of Crumpler to Roper and Miller in 2011. Roper and Miller left the company in 2015 after Crescent Capital bought a majority stake and took over management.