When I saw Winter Pierzina using her bra as a handbag I thought she was onto something. It seems that Portuguese designer Rita Almeida agreed with me, as she’s now upcycling Wonderbras into cute purses.
Almeida’s website doesn’t reveal much about her manufacturing techniques, but it seems pretty straight forward. The two cups appear to be sewn together, and a flap added for security. And when you’re dealing with old brassieres, the strap is already in place!
When you look at these Wonderbra purses it’s pretty easy to see where they came from. In some cases I appreciate a recycled purse which proudly shows its history, but I’m not so sure this time. Would you want to carry a bag that looks just like a used bra? I think it’d take a very quirky fashionista, or an ardent environmentalist, to appreciate this unusual attempt at upcycling.
At this point it seems that Almeida’s bra bags are more of a pet project than a serious business idea, as her website doesn’t have any obvious way to shop for the purses. Perhaps she loves them so much she wants to keep them all for herself! Given the concept I’m sure anyone with a sewing kit and a little know how could whip up their own though!
