Handmade bags are all the hype these days. Designer is great, don’t get me wrong, but there is nothing like a one-of-a-kind handmade bag with hand-stitched leather and patches of colorful embroidery. No two handmade bags are the same and their designs are often inspired by the craftsmen who make them. So if you’re looking for a chic conversation piece you can carry around with you, try making your own handmade bag or buying one from a talented craftsman. Your handmade bag will be sure to have a one-of-a-kind story you can wear on your arm on your next night out.
Many of these handmade bags incorporate colorful antique fabrics into their designs. This is a clever and creative way to reuse old fabrics, many of which are magnificent works of art. Antique fabrics were handmade by women weavers long before machines were around to do the work for them. Textiles were hand-dyed, hand-woven and hand-embroidered by the women in the families and often passed down from mothers to daughters for generations.
Antique Japanese kimono and Hmong tribal costumes from mountainous regions of Asia are some of the most exquisite embroidered fabrics being incorporated into today’s trendy, bohemian-chic handmade bags.