Cargabags Recycled Wool Felt Bags, From Argentina to the World
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires 
on 12.12.06
With some recycled-wool-felt he had from a previous project, Argentinean architect living in New York Mauro Bianucci made himself a bag. He proved to have great luck when a client -casually, a perfume bottles designer deep into the fashion world- fell for it and after purchasing one he took it to work. When this man’s colleagues started making orders for bags, the company Cargabags was born. And when the production was too much to carry on his own, Bianucci thought about his hometown: the bags are now manufactured in Argentina with recycled-wool-felt from Brazil, leather treated with natural anilines and some hardware parts like aluminum pop rivets and washers. “The choice for recycled materials wasn’t conscious, I guess I just have it in the back of my mind and it comes out naturally”, Bianucci says, “I’ve also been working in a containers’ line from recycled paper pulp for a couple of years now, which I hope I can bring into the market at some point”. Besides been ‘eco’ Cargabags is proudly a fair trade company: “I’m very proud that we could pay the workshop what they asked for, which adds up to our eco side making us a socially responsible business”, Bianucci says. And a fair payment is not so easy to find in Buenos Aires these days. Cargabags can be found in All Purpose (144 S. Flores st., Los Angeles) and in several shops in New York, Montreal, Barcelona and Paris, starting from 175 US dollars. For a complete list of shops visit their website (more pictures in the extended). ::Cargabags. Thanks Lloyd for the tip!
Cargabag model 02.
Cargabag model 03.
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I think the wool Cargabags are absolutely beautiful! I am surprised that this site would support an artist that uses so much leather though. Just a thought. Melinda
FROM WRITER:
Melinda, using leather and eating meat is a personal choice and at TreeHugger we don't judge people who choose to do it.
I personally didn't pick the models that are entirely leather, but I thought it was important to highlight that for those who do wear that material, this artist has a responsible practice around it.
best