A Vegan Bag

by Alysa Sullivan, April 18, 2007

I am not, nor do I aspire to be, a vegan. I enjoy my omniverous ways and nothing, simply nothing can stand between me and my next pair of great leather boots or a to die for suede jacket. That said, I am not without conscience about where my goods come from and the impact they have on the earth. That is why I am so incredibly in love with the fabulous Canadian company Matt and Nat!

The fashion forward Matt and Nat was founded in 1997 with a line of vegan handbags. What, may you ask is a vegan handbag? Well, in the hands of Matt and Nat it is a beautifully crafted, funky, fun and very fashionable bag that doesn't use any products derived from animals. The bags are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and sometimes PU (polyurethan). While these synthetic materials may be less than ideal, the company's website makes a very strong arguement for the fact that PVC production is far less polluting that the overall processing of leather. Each bag is stamped with the company's slogan which reads:

Choose life choose positivity choose the golden rule
Choose to be at peace with yourself shoose salvation
Choose to make a difference Choose to be different
Choose to be a rebel Choose to be funky Choose to
be yourself Choose to create a fashion statement

The first time I saw Matt and Nat bags, I was in the very trendy Yaletown section of Vancouver. It took me a few good minutes to suss out the fact that the bag I was looking at was not in fact leather. AND it came with a great key fob to boot. Having already maxed out my vacation shopping I left the store without the bag. But as I ate lunch across the street,I began to feel very much like Lucy Ricardo: how I could sneak the bag in past my husband who had had enough of my shopping at this point in the vacation? Hide it in the closet? Give it to Ethel to hold on to?..... Well, I finally decided that the husband would simply have to understand because this was a very special bag, and besides it told me to choose positivity! And I want to choose to be positive and to follow the Golden rule!



That was the beginning of my love affair with Matt and Nat. Since going back to Vancouver every time I want a new bag was out of the question, I started buying bags directly from them on line. Well.... joyous day! Goodbye shipping charges! One of our favorite local shops COCOON (69 Main Street, New Paltz) has begun carrying the bags along with the retro chic Orla Kiely bags she has been stocking for awhile now.

The bags have names like:

Depeche Mode
Trainspotting
Radiohead and d- squared

Spring means many things to many people, to some it means a new bag.
My new Spring bag is the roomy Jorja FoxPlenty of room for wallet, summer reading
and all the action figures my kids want me to hold for them.

Run, don't walk in to to see Julie at COCOON before all the vegan bags are gone.

Thoughts, comments, ideas? Send me an email: the shoppinglist@hvc.rr.com