HER-Designs Lily Purse
Written by Urban Sherp on June 9th, 2009
Who: Helen Riegle, HER Designs; Marblehead, MA
What: Lily Purse
Where: HER-design.com, On Sale for $140, Chartreuse or Coral Rose Lining. (update June 22nd: the Lily in organic cotton and brown leather is on sale for $100)
Why: Clearly this purse was designed by a woman who understands that a bag needs to be more than just a pretty face; it also has to be functional. The lovely Lily delivers.
No more wrestling to keep purse straps in place; the slim synthetic leather straps stay put.
No more fumbling for your phone; you’ll find it tucked in its own tidy little pocket.
No more wandering wallets; yours gets double wrapped – zipped then snapped.
No more guilt about adding another leather handbag to the shelves; the Lily is made of 100% organic cotton, PVC-free synthetic leather and recycled PET.
So, from the inside out, you will be (or at least look) totally pulled together.
When Helen first set out to create an eco-conscious line of handbags in 2004, she not only had a difficult time sourcing fabrics, but also finding a manufacturer who would agree to work with fabrics other than leather and who scoffed at alternatives like micro-suedes. Thankfully, Helen stayed true to her goal “to promote greener living that embraces style.”
Now that ‘eco’ has become more mainstream, Helen still chooses to invest the money in higher quality materials in an effort to create bags that are timeless and that can be carried season to season with fabrics that translate year round. Most of the bags are made in fair labor factories in Costa Rica of eco-materials such as microsuedes made of 100% recycled content, Cradle to Cradle certified polyester, PVC-free synthetic leather, recycled PET (from post consumer soda bottles), Treetap “wild rupper” and organic cotton and using eco-sensitive inks, glues and solvents.
2% of the gross sales are donated to non-profits including Healthlink, the Sierra Club and UNICEF.