Vintage mailbags become contemporary purses under the clever hands of Seattle based artist Jessica Park and her fashion label Ampersand as Apostrophe.

Park works with century-old English postal sacks, preserving their natural weathered beauty but giving it modern handbag silhouettes. I love the way these patina purses mimic actual letters, hinting at the heritage of the original material without making it too obvious. The versatile styling is also impressive, as it allows each Mailbag bag to function as a large clutch or shoulder bag.

"Ampersand as Apostrophe's preferred method of solving design challenges is to refine what's there instead of focusing on what's not," Park explained.

Rather than fighting the materials, Park really seems to work with them. And of course, by using vintage materials each Ampersand as Apostrophe bag is an eco-friendly original. That's great news for green fashionistas who value their unique sense of style.

The leather mailbag handbags are a bit pricy at $935, but with free shipping over the holidays it's a great time to indulge in a little early Christmas present.

[Source: Ecouterre]

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