Louisa Pearson: ‘Imagine knowing your bag had spent 30 years in active duty’

THERE have been a lot of grumblings in my household recently about hi-tech handheld gadgets. I totally understand why people like this stuff, but have deep concerns that it is turning our collective attention span into something a goldfish would gape at.

I suppose when the Great Depression/ Second Coming arrives and the power gets switched off, people will relearn how to talk to each other, remember how to daydream and stop watching with bated breath to see what Charlie Sheen will do next. All this techno-fuelled information is just background noise distracting us from the fact that our time on the planet is running out, one day at a time.

This column is meant to be about handbags. How did we end up facing mortality head-on? Ah yes, I remember, it’s because everyone needs a bag to carry their gadgets in. If you’re a Luddite like me, you’ll still need a bag to carry your wallet, novel, bottle of water, hand cream, old receipts and after-dinner mints that have been in there for a very long time indeed. I have a new handbag. As you’d expect, it was locally made (heaven forbid I ever leave the region for any purchases). And it looks fantastic. It was created by Julia Cunningham (www.julia-cunningham.com), who uses scrap fabrics locally sourced from tweed and textile mills.

If your eco-warrior is constantly at war with your inner fashionista, the good news is that there are loads of talented textile artists in Scotland making bags you’d be proud to pose with. Gents might want to head to Catherine Aitken’s website (www.catherineaitken.com) where the Leith-based designer’s wares include an impressive manbag created from a vintage Harris Tweed jacket. There are loads more exciting makers out there – visit www.craftscotland.org and search their database until you find a style you like.

Widening our search beyond the border reveals an innovative company called Elvis & Kresse (www.fire-hose.co.uk). It “re-engineers seemingly useless wastes” to create accessories made from decommissioned British fire brigade hoses. Imagine knowing your bag spent 30 years deployed in active duty, fighting fires around the UK.

When we’re gauging the eco-friendliness of a bag we need to consider the materials it’s made from, the production process, packaging, transport and what’s going to happen at the end of its useful life. Bags made overseas are going to be marked down in the transport stakes, but there are a few out there that are so enticing, I’m going to flag them up regardless. For the person who regards subtlety as an affliction, Doy Bags (www.doybags.com) will fit the bill, being at least as colourful as a night out at the Rio Carnival. These eye- catching bags are made from recycled juice packs and are manufactured by a women’s cooperative in the Philippines.

Bag-loving website www.onfriday.co.uk showcases some of the cleverest bags from around the world. Examples include the Harveys Messenger Bag, built from discarded seatbelts, and the Neumatica Irregular, made from rubber inner tubes. What will you fill your bag with? Energy-guzzling gadgets? Organic muesli bars? That’s up to you. I’m off to remind myself just how fabulous my new bag looks. Then I’ll see if I can fit all my crap into it. n