New York label The Sway challenges the notion that leather handbags aren’t green with its upcycled leather accessories.
The fashion house is the brainchild of Australian born, New York based designer Belinda Pasqua. After studying fashion design in Sydney and Florence, Pasqua commenced her career with tenures at Italy’s leading couture fashion houses. She learned the tricks of the trade before making her way to New York City. She worked as the design director for Li&Fung for a while, but quickly became disillusioned with the waste she saw.
And so she launched The Sway, a fashion house which utilizes leather remnants from a motorcycle factory powered using natural alternative energy sources. These scraps are hand-cut into new shapes to minimize wastage, and then used to create handbags and chic biker jackets.
The Sway’s sustainable approach doesn’t stop with its accessories and garments. It uses recycled cotton fabrics for its linings, and recycled paper and cotton for the hangtags and packaging. The Sway also gives back to the planet’s people by investing in the micro economies of developing nations.
The Sway has recently attracted the attention of Nylon, Six Magazine, and Elle. It also took out the Best Green Handbag title at the 2011 Independent Handbag Designer Awards. It sounds like this is definitely a label on the up!
