Most of us don’t have a lot of use for cassette tapes these days. Walkmans are obsolete, cars are fitted with CD players, and so all those old tapes just sit forgotten in boxes. For the last decade Alyce Santoro has been giving these retro musical treasures a new lease on life with her Sonic Fabric, which she uses to create everything from neckties to bustiers. And for her latest limited edition line, Santoro has turned her beloved tapes into handbags.
Looking at this bag, you’d probably never guess what it’s made from. The tape is woven on antique looms in Santoro’s family-run New Englan textile mill. That traditional technique gives the material its tight weave and professional finish. And the tape still plays music when it’s placed underneath a tape head!
The limited edition purses are made from sound collages based on life in New York City. The natural brown color of the tape makes each bag a little drab, but the brightly colored raw silk lining helps to liven up the interiors.
Money raised from the sale of these purses will help fund Santoro’s next project, a new batch of Sonic Fabric produced in collaboration with weavers in Mexico. At $120 they’re not cheap, but you can enjoy a 50% discount if you pre-order one ahead of its release. Alternatively you’ll enjoy the bag as a gift when you make a $200 tax-deductible donation to United States Artists before the end of the month.
