Australian Handcrafted Sustainable Luxury Handbags
The Label
Today the Teresa Cowley label has a clear path working within the constraints of sustainable fashion. Teresa Cowley handbags were established in the warm Sydney November of 1999 by Teresa as a sole trader. The label braves new boundaries in sustainable design, colour and fabric. Striving for excellence in sustainable handbag and tote bag functionality, quality and design. The label aims to integrate social and environmental awareness through fashion. Fair-trade, use of sustainable fabrics and materials and non use of leather products are some examples.
The range is predominantly made from fabric such as organic cotton and hemp canvas. Gorgeous refashioned materials are also combined to create many vintage inspired one-off pieces. Teresa Cowley handbags and accessories can be purchased online at :- www.teresacowley.etsy.com
Also through listed stockists.
Stockists in Australia
Gecoz Ecologically Sustainable, Bellingen
First Avenue Boutique, Sawtell
Hammond and Harwood, Gladstone
Seasons Boutique, Coffs Harbour
Rainforest Centre, Dorrigo
Sustainability
Teresa is very passionate about the conservation of the environment. As a nature lover, Teresa hopes to use the resources available to her to bring about awareness of climate change. The current environmental issues that inspire our environmentally friendly designs include clean energy over coal, the cotton farming industry, conservation and climate change. For more information visit www.350.org
"We design our environmentally friendly handbag collection first by being selective with the fabrics and materials chosen. For our current and future handbag collections, we handcraft each handbag locally. We have created the handbags using organic cotton and hemp blend canvas for the exterior of the handbag. We have used premium refashioned fabrics to make the interior lining and interior pockets. We source the wooden purse handles from suppliers that manufacture these using wood from sustainable forest plantations. The bamboo purse handles have been chosen as bamboo is known to require less pesticides if any at all when grown.
We have chosen to use hemp blend fabrics in our range. "Modern technology can make hemp the most practical environmentally sensible textile on the planet. It is natural, it grows rapidly, needs no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides and modest quantities of water, is warm in winter, cool and breathable in summer, it is organic and can be blended easily with other textiles. With the correct technology in place, it can serve a wide range of cloth textures from strong and durable to soft and comfortable. Hemp's natural creamy colour eliminates the need for chlorine bleach, which prevents the dumping of toxin dioxin into streams. It is clean, both for the environment and the user" - www.hempwa.com.au
We have also chosen to use organic cotton blend fabrics in our collection. 'Organisations such as Sustainable Cotton, encompass biologically-based organic farming practices in the production, manufacturing and use of cotton. The Sustainable Cotton Project’s grower programs help move farmers through the changeover from chemically-dependent to more biological sound approaches. Composted manures and cover crops replace synthetic fertilizers; innovative weeding strategies are used instead of herbicides; beneficial insects and trap crops control insect pests; and alternatives to toxic defoliants prepare plants for harvest. The ultimate goal of “sustainable cotton” is to move sustainable production, manufacturing and use practices throughout the cotton value chain in order to create a healthy and profitable industry for growers, their communities, manufacturers, retailers and users of all cotton products'. - www.sustainablecotton.org
Follow her blog at :- www.thegardeniapurse.blogspot.com
Click on Handbag Name for larger pic.