The dingy bag becomes a beautiful tote
I returned to Santa Cruz last week with an armful of weavings from Salvatierra. One of the objectives of this trip to Bolivia was to create a new group of products based on the Salvatierra hammocks. The products should appeal to a high-end market that appreciates unique cultures, wants hand-made products, demands excellent design and supports fair trade.
Unfortunately, I only had a dingy canvas tote bag to show what I wanted (see the previous entry for a photo).
Fortunately, Claudia Mercado agreed to take on the project. She is an exceptionally talented Bolivian designer with a superb sense of style. And she enjoys working with communities. She took that dingy canvas bag and created a lovely leather tote using the Salvatierra weavings.
Here is the final product. It is excellently designed and crafted: a roomy tote made from the Salvatierra weaving, Bolivian textured leather, lined, with interior pockets and a magnetic snap. I will be returning to the US with this prototype and others to test the market.
