Eco Fashion inspired by the Boulder Creek
Jul 14th, 2008 by rlsorbe
Boulder is known for it’s “green” friendliness in building and open space, but did you ever think our eco-conscious fashion? From belts to bags, hard-core vegetarian designer Heather English has developed a product using only cruelty-free and vegan materials in conjunction with crafty ingenuity. English Retreads uses recycled materials and turns them into savvy fashion creating hand bags and accessories made from reclaimed truck inner-tubes. Interested in learning more about the company, I had asked the English Retreads team to answer a few questions about their product:
When was retreads created and what was the inspiration?
Heather English got the idea for English Retreads when she was floating down Boulder Creek on, you guessed it, an inner tube. “I needed a new handbag but I was a hardcore vegetarian. I wanted something that was fashionable and invincible—but not made from leather,” Heather explains. “I didn’t find what I was looking for, so I went to McGuckin’s, [a favorite local hardware store] bought some tools and started my own personal sweatshop—with me doing the sweating.” After friends started asking for a bag just like hers, Heather knew she was on to something and English Retreads hit the road in 2001.
Where do you get the materials for your bags?
Truck stops and bike shops in the Boulder area supply Heather with the used inner tubes—each of which probably has more than 60,000 miles on it before it gets reinvented.
What are your top inspiring/unique designs and why?
Our Model T Tote Classic is a slight modification of the first bag that Heather created for herself. It is a very clean design and serviceable bag that has remained a best seller. One of our newest designs, the Beetle, has a very different look and feel. From the above images you can see the evolution that has occurred in the bags that are now less utilitarian and far more stylish. We have segued into a design aesthetic that is attempting to take recycling into the eco-fashion realm where style is as important as function.
Is there any other information you would like to share with boulderspace users about your company or product?
We introduced a series of lined bags last fall that would create a more finished look and provide some color for our customers that were crying out for something more than basic black. We found a source for PET fabric that is made from recycled plastic soda bottles. The fabric is great and has proved to be stain resistant and as easy to clean as the rubber exteriors.
The English Retreads team pride themselves on their customer service and product quality. All of their bags are backed with a lifetime guarantee, and they will provide repair service on any bag that needs it. By using these durable bags, they are extending the life of those rubber inner tubes and preventing their addition to local landfills.
Interested in finding out more about English Retreads, stop into Common Threads and Boulder Arts and Crafts Coop. Or, you can visit their site at: http://www.englishretreads.com where you can learn more about their products and retailers.