Workshop/CoOp’s bags might not be very fashion forward, but they’re making a big impression on leading style icons including Oprah Winfrey.
A recent article in O Magazine helped spread the word about these hand-loomed cotton purses crafted by women in poverty. These artisans earn fair trade wages, ensuring they can put food on their family tables, send their children to school, and lift their communities out of poverty.
Workshop/CoOp creates small and medium pouches, which cost $45 and $60 respectively, and larger market totes which retail for $95. I can imagine the small pouch serving as a make-up bag and the medium one working as a cute tablet case. The market bag is likely to be the most versatile though, with space for gym equipment, groceries, and everyday essentials. Each one is hand stamped and numbered to guarantee their authenticity. They’re quite simple, but they come in a range of cute colors.
Their affordable prices are even more impressive when you consider that for every bag sold, the company donates a six or 12-month supply of hygiene products, including soap, underwear, and absorbent cloths, to a homeless female in Guatemala.
The woven Workshop/CoOp bags are available from selected Barney’s New York stores and the Workshop/CoOp website.
