Stitched hand-made, one-of-a-kind handbags just launched a Kickstarter campaign based on a model to create sustainable living. Stitched custom handbags are personal paintings made into clutches, totes, purses and wallets by artisans all over the world.
STITCHED HANDBAGS
Stitched handbags are designed and hand-painted by Houston Artist Whitney Riley. They are hand-stitched by Artisans in West Java creating sustainable living.
While large corporations like Wal-Mart and Nike exploit cheap labor in sweatshops, Stitched has created a new model for community and employee empowerment. This creates sustainable work without using factories as highlighted in the Stitched Kickstarter video.
Stitched founder, Whitey Riley explains, “Our model pays workers an above average wage and each employee knows that where ever that handbag ends up there is a picture and personal story that goes along with it.”
“We just don’t buy into the concept of cheap, disposable mass-produced products made on the backs of exploited workers”, Whitney explains. “Our handbags are hand-made, durable and super fun! Our next step is to create a trade-in or sell back option; your handbags will retain value similar to a car. Loved in bags is the next part of our company expansion plans.”
The canvas for the bags is hand-painted and hand-cut, then assembled and hand-stitched into a variety of bags, pocket books, and clutches by a group of otherwise unemployed artisans in West Java. There is a 60% unemployment rate in Indonesia and those who are working sometime are paid far below minimum wage living on less than $2 a day.
“As one-of-a-kind pieces of functional fashion, Stitched handbags merge fine art and everyday necessity”. Whitney adds, “And the purchase of a fashionable Stitched handbag helps create sustainability improving the quality of life in the village that help make it, and it also creates a little more safety for us all.”
