I'm not a bag lady. No, of course you're not, I can hear you say.
But I don't mean the poor woman we see on the street, wandering aimlessly, collecting endless bags, the one we pity and think, there go I but for the grace...
No, I mean I'm not the modern day "material girl" who shops till she drops, who collects more shoes and bags than she can reasonably use. The kind who will spend a pretty penny to get a Ferragamo, Gucci or Manolo Blahnik. Those bags leave me cold.
But look at these bags! Bags like these can make my eyes pop!
Manila, 2010
These are woven bags made by traditional raffia weavers on the Philippine island of Bohol. To satisfy a growing global demand for natural and sustainable product, the raffia (a palm leaf fiber) has been combined with various other environmentally friendly materials like recycled newspapers and old plastic twine.
With the collaborative support of the government and the European Chamber of Commerce, this superb project brings together the weavers who are trained to work the materials, the designers who create trendy bag and accessory designs, and the exporters who market the bags.
Everyone is a winner. Including the end consumer who not only gets a unique one-of-a-kind handmade bag but also plays her part in the global sustainability effort.
So tell me, are you a bag lady?