Fashion, Evolved

Canopy Verde is the next up-and-coming eco-friendly handbag company. With simple, clean lines and versatile colors the collection lends itself to pan-seasonal use that conscious consumers are now looking for. The bags are made from organic cotton and bamboo, chrome free leather, and chemical free dyes for the fabric and embroidery main website, where they are also available for purchase.

In 2007 Canopy Verde launched and has had great success in both online and boutique sales. The creator of Canopy Verde is Linda Wong, an ambitious new mom who has worked for both Fila and Cole Haan before deciding to strike out on her own in to the world of Eco Fashion. Wong was raised in a traditional Chinese household and was taught from infancy how to conserve.

“My family was eco-friendly before it was hip,” she told me in an interview. “We saved and reused everything. Waste was just not a part of our life. Then I went to Brown [University] where sustainable living was part of the culture.”

Canopy Verde bags are made in China, but the company is part of a group of revolutionaries who are bringing sustainable manufacturing practices to the country. Having been raised to Taiwan and immigrated to the U.S., Wong is in a unique position to bring the vision of ethical manufacturing, organic materials, and sustainable products to the Chinese market.

You can find out more about Canopy Verde bags on the main website:  Canopy Verde.

A few years ago, Heather English was floating down the Colorado River in an inner tube pondering her need for a cute vegan handbag.   In a flash of inspiration she realized she was sitting on the perfect material.  When she got home, she headed to the hardware store for some tools, and then attacked the tube with a creative vengeance.  The result was a handbag that was stylish, durable, vegan-friendly and sustainable.  As soon as her friends got a good look at it, they started demanding their own inner tube bags and English Retreads was born.

English started her business up in her own home, using her bathtub to wash the tubes and her garage as a manufacturing floor.  She poured her own blood, sweat, and tears into her company taking responsible for every phase of process. Seven years later the company has it’s own warehouse, six employees, and a loyal following. The bags have been featured nationally in fashion magazines like Us Magazine and Cosmo Girl, as well as various regional publications.

What makes English Retreads such a remarkable company is their overall emphasis on sustainability.  To start with, the material they use is repurposed from old tires, most of which have over 60,000 miles on them. English and her co-workers go to truck stops and collect the tubes, then bring them back to their shop to clean and prep them.  English provides the initial designs and the entire group corroborates on the final product.

They are 100% vegan-friendly with no animal products used in the materials or manufacturing.  They are also handmade in Colorado in an ethical setting.   As if that weren’t enough, the company works to reduce its carbon footprint, going so far as encouraging the employees to use public transportation or ride their bikes to work.

The style of English Retreads handbags makes them an excellent investment in your wardrobe for years to come.  The company makes several sizes of bags, wallets, and even small accessories like dog collars, belts, and key fobs.

It is rare to find a company devoted to the environment and cruelty-free, ethical manufacturing; and that is also producing beautiful, high quality goods.  English Retreads hits all the marks, making it a leader in the rapidlly greening fashion industry.