Sexy Scales :: Escama Pulltab Bags
by TreeHugger on 03.31.05
Aluminum cans are a huge commodity item around the world, but they are fairly simple in form, so the most interesting way to recycle them is usually re-melting. Their pull-tabs on the other hand are complex and beautiful little objects. It was only a matter of time before some enterprising design group used them as a raw material for new products. Escama must have read our minds, and then blown them with these beautiful bags...
San Fransisco based Escama has partnered with two women’s cooperatives, Cia do Lacre and 100 Dimensão, located in Brasília, Brazil. These groups use skilled hand labor to turn colored cord and can-pulls into intricate, shimmery metal wonders. The best part is that the cooperative workers are in control of production so there's no danger of labor rights issues. The bags look like chain mail, or the scales of some huge fish -- which is what inspired the name Escama, Portuguese for fish scales. You can even select from a variety of different colored thread to match your mood. Right now, all sales are through California retail outlets, but they are looking for wider distribution opportunities, so maybe you can work something out.
:: Escama Recycled Bags [by DM]
Rosana Purse
Chica Rosa Clutch
Messenger Bag
Socorro Handbag
I likey likey. I WANT ONE!!
Waaay cool. Good to see someone is making use of materials instead of recycling them. This site has some interesting stuff from cans too http://www.dalatadesigns.com