A bag is a secret weapon against the unpredictability of everyday life. It contains everything you need to get through the day, and just a little bit more. But what if your everyday survival kit also made a statement. And I do not only mean in a fashionable way.
FIND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR
This list is filled with sustainable everyday essentials (yes, a bag is an everyday essential), that are not only stylish fashion statement pieces but also says something about the environment and ethics in the fashion world.
Each and every one of these ethical bags are timeless, yet unique pieces you will treasure for years. So dive into the list and find your next indispensable weapon against everyday life’s unforeseen bumps (yes, still talking about bags).
Best Brands for Ethical Handbags
Svala
From: United States
Price: $$
Ethics: Listed by PETA as a vegan brand, last state of production undertaken in the US.
Why we love them:
Beautiful, stylish, versatile, timeless, not to forget sustainable, vegan, ethical… there are a lot of positive words you could use to describe Svala. But Svala is more than positive words. This brand wants to make a change in the world. That is why it only uses high-quality vegan materials and handcraft each bag locally and ethically in LA.
As you might guess from the name, Svala cares a great deal about animals. Apart from being PETA vegan approved, the brand donates 10% of its profit to Wild Aid, and was awarded vegan brand of the year. Basically this is the brand fro fashion and animal lovers.
Shop the ethical handbags here
Gandys
From: United Kingdom
Price: $$
Ethics: Improves social conditions, ensures living wages, traces plus visits most of its supply chain regularly.
Why we love them:
Gandys is an ethical brand created to inspire sustainable and conscious travel. Behind the brand is two brothers, who lost their parents when they where kids. Because if this, one of Gandys’ main by purposes is building kids campuses and giving back to other underprivileged children around the world.
The sustainable bags are made by travelers for travelers. The ethical bags has a practical design, and is made from sustainably and ethically sourced products. Gandys’ is aiming at making the world a better place, and it is starting at its own supply chain.
Shop the eco-friendly bags here
Elvis & Kresse
From: United Kingdom
Price: $$
Ethics: Ensures living wages and traces all of its supply chain.
Why we love them:
Elvis & Kresse believes that the future of luxury is sustainable and ethical, so they have created cool, luxurious bags, tha neither comprise on sustainability or the environment. It makes sophisticated bags out of rescued materials giving these raw materials a new purpose. On top of that the brand donates 50% of its profit to charity, because it believes sustainability is about giving back.
The pillers of this brand is rescue, transform, and donate. In practice this means rescuing London’s decommissioned fire-hos, transforming them into luxurious bag, and then giving 50% of the profit back to fire fighters charity. See that is what I call ethical handbags.
Shop the ethical bags here
Mashu
From: United Kingdom
Price: $$$
Ethics: All its products are vegan
Why we love them:
Okay, if you have a special place for perfectly design handbags (who hasn’t?) then you have to know about Mashu. Not only is theis brand 100% vegan, it also play with innovative designs and shapes. On top of that all products are handmade in order to ensure high quality and reduce climate impact.
If you want cool, unique ethical handbags, that doesn’t harm animals, people nor the planet you should definitely check out Mashu. The brand makes it seem easy to create sophisticated, fashionable vegan bags, that only do good in this world.
Shop the vegan handbags here
LaBante
From: United Kingdom
Price: $$
Ethics: All its products are vegan
Why we love them:
LaBante creates luxurious vegan handbags and shoulder bags in a timeless and chic design. Each sustainable bag is made in a design that doesn’t go out of style, and which you can wear to work, school, events or a night out.
LaBante uses a high proportion of eco-friendly materials such as recycled materials. Recycled plastic bottles are especially a material this brand loves to use because it has such a great impact on the environment. If you are looking for chic ethical handbags, LaBante is your brand.
Shop the ethical handbags here
Deux Mains
From: Haiti
Price: $
Ethics: Handcrafted and locally produced and sourced products
Why we love them:
This brand is all about combining charity and business under one roof. Deux Mains was created to sustainably fight poverty. Its business model uses the best of both worlds and combines best practices from the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. This way the brand can provide a holistic and sustainable end to poverty and economic injustice.
All of its ethical handbags are locally sourced and handcrafted. The Deux Mains aims at making beautiful designs while using eco-friendly products, improve social conditions in Haiti and use renewable energy in its supply chain.
Shop the sustainable handbags here
Mila.Vert
From: Slovenia
Price: $$
Ethics: Ensures living wages, traces supply chain, visits suppliers regularly
Why we love them:
At Mila.Vert the goal is to make accessories that are kind to everyone and everything. Everything the brand makes is 100% vegan and PETA approved, all products are produced in the home country of the brand, Slovenia, at family-owned factories. Transparency, ethicality, and sustainability are some of the words that come to mind when thinking about this brand.
All its design is simplistic and minimalistic in order to ensure long livity when it comes to design. If you are a fan of minimalistic accessories, like me, I ensure you, this brand is amazing. The ethical handbags’ sophisticated design and modern touch place them on the list of must-know brands for ethical accessories.
Shop the ethical handbags from Mila.Vert here
Nisolo
From: United States
Price: $$
Ethics: Provide living wages, ensure safe and healthy working conditions, traces supply chain
Why we love them:
Nisolo designs highly ethical handbags and shoulder bags that compliment you everyday. The design is timeless, effortless and versatile, because purchasing a Nisolo bag is not like following in a trend. It is a choice to invest in a sustainable lifestyle and purchase a bag you will treasure for years.
Nisolo is truly an ethical brand, who ensures beying fair trade wages healthcare for its workers and safe working conditions. On top of that Nisolo wants to provide you with high-quality, ethical hansbags for as cheap as possible. The brand cut out the middleman to make the prices as desirable as possible, because sustainable fashion should be available to everyone.
Shop the ethical handbags here
Cuyana
From: United States
Price: $$
Ethics:
Why we love them:
Sustainable fashion is about investing in fewer and better things that will provide you with happiness in many years to come. Cuyana wants you to invest in not only quality, but sustainably made quality. By only using the high-quality materials the brand wants to ensure you can use its ethical bags year after year and still wear the bag with a big smile each and every time.
The brand uses a high proportion of eco-friendly materials, and only produces what they believe they can sell in order to minimize waste. Cuyana is the perfect choice of bag for everyone looking for a minimalistic and stylish handbag or tote, that you will love for years.
Shop the minimalistic bags here
Studio JUX
From: Netherlands
Price: $
Ethics: Women Empowerment, produce at own factory
Why we love them:
Studio JUX is not just another sustainable label. It produces carefully selected ethical accessories for modern life. Every single sustainable bag is produced at Studio Jux’ own factory, which is also a women empowerment project. It does this to ensure safe working conditions and a fair living wage.
Ethical handbags are made with love and a vision to make the fashion industry more sustainable. This brand is all about creating a sustainable alternative at a very desirable price level.
Shop the ethical handbags here
O My Bag
From: Netherlands
Price: $$
Ethics: Create positive change for people around the world
Why we love them:
Don’t make a difference. Wear a difference. Those are the words ethical handbags brand O My Bag live by and praise. It encourages you to wear bags that tell a story. A different story, about positive impact and change in the world.
The brand is making sustainable bags out of eco-friendly leather at factories with fair and safe working conditions. Each eco-friendly bag has an exclusive and luxurious look and feel. The style is simplistic and easy to style both for everyday use, and weekend fun.
Shop the ethical handbags here
Lidia May
From: Bangladesh
Price: $$-$$$
Ethics: Women empowerment
Why we love them:
Build to cultivate craftsmanship Lidia May work to create social change in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The brand helps women artisans work their way out of the slum and into the skilled labor market. Its ambition is to do so through the production of sustainable luxury bags.
The ethical handbags have an innovative and playful shape that almost turns into a statement piece. Both in design and what it stands for. If you want a bag, that is a bit out of the ordinary. That breaks with the status quo. Then a sustainable bag from Lidia May might just be what you are looking for.
Shop the ethical handbags here
Able
From: Ethiopia
Price: $$
Ethics: Empowering women
Why we love them:
It all started with scarves. Able wanted to create transformative opportunities for women in Ethiopia comming out if the sex industry. Help them find a job, where they could learn and acquire artisan skills.
Today, Able has grown from hand-woven scarves to a specialized ethical handbag brand. On top of that Able invest in, educate, and train women. The brand also publishes all its wages and manufacturing partners, because it believes transparency is everything. Oh, and then it makes some breathtaking sustainable leather bags.
Shop the ethical should bags here
Funky Kalakar
From: United Kingdom
Price: $$
Ethics: Vegan, people empowerment
Why we love them:
Funky Kalakar is built on pillars of circularity, veganism, transparency, and empowerment. The brand practices circular fashion, and take back used bags and shoes in order to go zero-waste. All the ethical handbags are vegan. To support empowerment the brand collaborates with NGOs that echos the brand’s values.
In practice that means the products are handcrafted in Mumbai, All packaging comes from a fair-trade certificate women’s self-help group, and all block printing is done by rural skilled artisans.
Shop the ethical handbags here
BEEN London
From: United Kingdom
Price: $$
Ethics: Handmade from recycled leather
Why we love them:
Been London is your go-to sustainable brand if you are looking for timeless, handmade handbags. Cause that is exactly what this brand is an expert of making. It creates unique ethical handbags from recycled leather and plastic bottles.
Been London is not only rethinking the way the fashion industry is producing accessories. It is also being innovative with new materials. The brand only use recycled materials, because it believes we dont’ have to take any new materials out of the earth. we already have plenty to use.
Shop the ethical handbags here
Advene
From: United States
Price: $$$
Ethics:
Why we love them:
Advene is about rethinking everyday essentials. It is doing so by sourcing 100% traceable and sustainably sourced premium leather, and the use of no unnecessary plastic. Advene is producing ethical handbags that ages with you in a graceful way.
These sustainable bags only become even more beautiful when you use them. Their stylish look only grows over time. These bags want to make a statement. They want you to rethink fashion. They want you to choose wisely and choose to do fashion sustainably.
Shop the ethical handbags here
Love,
Anna
Leave a Reply