Remember those cool purses made from vehicle upholstery? Well there’s also an option for men. Mari Cla Ro, a Toronto-based fashion house, is manufacturing man bags and backpacks out of exploded airbags, salvaged car upholstery, truck tarps, seat belts and other junk. They’re actually pretty cool.
Ecouterre, a website devoted to sustainable fashion, explains:
Of the materials that comprise each piece, roughly 99 percent was landfill-bound, according to co-founders Sven Schlegel and Willa Murray, who intercept the materials within 300 miles of their workshop. (“1 percent is made of notions and our logo, still unavailable in recycled,” Schlegel says.) [more]
Yes they’re made from garbage, but these are no trash bags. Mari Cla Ro’s line of laptop sleeves, messenger bags, briefcases and backpacks rival some of the best on the market.
What’s especially cool is that bags and cases made from car upholstery come with a photo of the car’s interior they were fashioned from.
Combine a bag with one of Platinum Dirt’s leather jackets made from recycled car upholstery and you’ve got some serious style.
It’ll cost you though. At $100+ per bag, Mari Cla Ro isn’t cheap. Neither are Platinum Dirt‘s leather jackets – which start at $1,300.
If only we’d known earlier that scrap upholstery would be in vogue… we’ve been making these for years!
Ultra trash chic. I did a “european carry all” bag for a friend’s son. Used leftover auto leather and my own design loosely based on the bag carried in “The Hangover” crossed up with Indiana Jones’ shoulder bag. I told the friend that if her son didn’t carry it, I wanted it back and I’d put it up on ebay for about $100. Guess he loved it and was going on and on about all the virtues of a manbag. hahaha.
“Ultra trash chic” – takes living like a bum one step further than going “grunge”. I love it!
Maybe you should get into the man bag business. I used to make wallets out scrap vinyl all the time and just give them away… never thought there would actually be a market for them.
Sidonie bought one of Mari Cla Ro’s handbags about two years ago and it’s still going strong! The price was reasonable and the quality was exceptional. Their concept is great for the environment, too.