Oregon-based design Meghan Corbin gives old clothes a new lease on life with her freshly launched label Meg Expressions.
The Portland native transforms jeans, T-shirts, and sheets into sweetly styled, original accessories. They’re a bit girly, but they should appeal to tweens, teens, and women in touch with their feminine sides. Each purse features a “handmade with recycled materials” stamp to remind users of the item’s heritage and eco-friendly credentials. There’s a great range of designs to choose from including coin purses, wallets, totes, and shoulder bags in a variety of colorful prints.
The materials might not be very high class, but it’s admirable that Corbin’s designs keep the fabrics out of landfill. By using ordinary clothes, Corbin also ensures that her handbags are machine washable. That’s great news for anyone who laments the stains that bags inevitably show after a season or two.
Right now Corbin uses her own materials, but I’d love to see her expand to create a customized service. I can imagine it’d be really popular with moms wanting to hold on to their baby’s clothes a little longer, or women finally willing to let their too small skinny jeans go! Until then we can browse her recycled fabric handbags through her etsy store.
