fashion

Last year I bought myself a new pair of glasses. These aren’t just ordinary glasses made from petroleum-based plastics, they are made from plant-based acetate called Mazzucchelli Cellulose!

About Praia Eyewear

Praia Eyewear is a Cape Town based small business specialising in premium quality handcrafted sunglasses using italian sourced Mazzucchelli Cellulose Acetate and UV400 polarized lenses.

Their sunglass range is inspired by the sunny coastal regions that they have visited; Clifton, Algarve and Portofino and more!

Their sunglasses frames is such good quality that I can use them for my prescription lenses. I chose the Clifton in Crystal, a crystal clear frame which is perfect as I wanted a frame that wouldn’t dominate my face as I have to wear glasses every day, all day! I’ve kept the sunglass lenses so I can reuse the frames in the future.

1% of Praia Eyewear’s profits go towards support environmental nonprofits dedicated to cleaning and protecting our beloved oceans.

Where to buy?

I bought my glasses from Vision View at Lifestyle on Kloof, but you can buy all their sunglasses on the Praia Eyewear online shop.

If you’d like to see more accessories I have found, have a look here. Alternatively, if you’d like to see more of the green vegan fashion products I have found, have a look here. New products posted regularly.

Let’s get social!

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up trying this product, after reading about it for the first time here, please tag me and let me know what you think. Remember to hashtag it  #thegreenveganchick

© the green vegan chick. All images & content are copyright protected. Please follow my Sharing Policy if you would like to use or share any part of this post.

Would you believe that this gorgeous circle bag is made from an old used car tire that would have ended up in a landfill if it wasn’t for Mors Design.

Mors Design

Mors Design is a local sustainable small business that takes what is essentially waste, and turns it into useful, reusable items, which is the very definition of upcycling!

In Afrikaans the word MORS means to waste or mess. Isn’t that just the most perfect name for a small business that upcycles waste!

The tire tubes are often rescued directly from landfills, and then cleaned before being transformed into bags, book covers, lights, and sculptures. Mors Design believes in skills development, job creation and empowering communities hence why manufacturing is done locally in Salt River by previously disadvantaged women and refugees predominantly from Malawi.

Tires in landfill

Currently in SA we have millions of tires in our landfills. There are already quite a few countries that have made it illegal to throw tires in landfill! Why? Because they can cause environmental damage, take up a lot of landfill space and can actually be recycled! We have companies in SA that take old tires, turn them into rubber crumb that then is used to resurface roads, used as foundations for sport fields and used for flooring. The next time you replace your car tires, check if the company you buy your new tires from will recycle your old ones.

Circle bag

This circle bag is a true piece of art! I love it so much. The stitching detail is stunning, and the inside is lined with colourful shwe shwe fabric. The strap is a thick black and white rope, that is secured with a wrap detail which is perfectly executed!

I actually spotted an old photo of a circle bag on the Mors Design instagram page that had the black and white rope and asked them to make me one. I love the boldness of the chunky strap together with the “fabric” of the bag.

The bag easily fits all my essentials: keys, wallet, phone, with so much more space for other items!

Where to buy?

I bought this bag via their Instagram in January, paid via eft and collected it at the Mors Design shop (shop 70) in the Watershed at the V&A Waterfront. Mors will soon have an online shop, so you’ll be able to buy online as well.

I’ll admit this was a splurge. I’m passionate about supporting local, and I’ve been wanting to support Mors Design for a while now. I used to sell things I made myself at markets, so I get that people often don’t understand the amount of time and energy that goes into making something by hand, and they also often don’t expect handmade items to cost as much as they do. Yet often people will spend the same if not more on a similar item mass produced in another country!

So when I tell you I spent R1200 on this bag, knowing the story of it’s creation, if you are anything like me, you might think that it is a splurge but totally worth it. With my purchase I helped prevent waste whilst supporting the local economy! What more could a green vegan chick want?!

If you’d like to see more accessories I have found, have a look here. Alternatively, if you’d like to see more of the green vegan fashion products I have found, have a look here. New products posted regularly.

Let’s get social!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up buying one of these products, after reading about it for the first times here, please tag me and let me know what you think. Remember to hashtag it #thegreenveganchick

© the green vegan chick. All images & content are copyright protected. Please follow my Sharing Policy if you would like to use or share any part of this post.

I’ve been on the lookout for a locally made, eco friendly pair of sunglasses and found the perfect pair from Ballo.

ballo

Ballo is a Cape Town-based carbon neutral company that specialise in hand-making products that are made with up-cycled and recycled materials. Besides their amazing sunglasses, they also sell slow fashion, homeware, masks, and more. Ballo is passionate about treading lightly (environmental footprint), so they plant a tree with GreenPop every time they sell a pair of handmade sunglasses. And they are on a zero-waste mission so they make things from their off-cuts, and most of their machines are preloved.

owl

I chose the owl frame made with imbuia wood and brown polarized lenses. My sunglasses were handmade in Woodstock by Tendy and came packaged in a hard cardboard case, with a soft fabric case. The temples are fitted with spring hinges which make the lenses really comfortable and easy to put on. The Ballo sunglasses come with a 12-month warranty against manufacturing faults. All Ballo sunglasses can be fitted with prescription lenses by an optometrist, so I’m considering getting a second pair so I can wear one with my contact lenses and another when I’m wearing my glasses. 

where to buy?

I bought my pair on the Ballo website but you can also buy a pair from the Ballo kiosk B2 (in front of Hurley & Nike) at the V&A Waterfront, and the Ballo Workshop (54 New Market Street, Foreshore)

What do you think, do you love these as much as I do?  I’d love to hear from you in a comment below. If you’d like to see more accessories  I have found, have a look here. Alternatively, if you’d like to see more of the green vegan fashion products I have found, have a look here. New products posted regularly.

let’s get social!

Be sure to follow Ballo on Facebook and Instagram, and follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up buying one of these products, after reading about it for the first times here, please tag me and let me know what you think. Remember to hashtag it  #thegreenveganchick

© the green vegan chick. All images & content are copyright protected. Please follow my Sharing Policy if you would like to use or share any part of this post.

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I recently bought myself a beautiful locally made Leefi vegan handbag which is made from cork fabric and baobab leather.

Leefi Haute Design

Cape Town based, Leefi, was created in 2015, by sisters Odette and Sulandé. They wanted to create a range of socially responsible accessories that was made by Cape Flats locals. Leefi have an amazing range of locally made vegan accessories for both men and women.  Their ranges include handbags, wallets, purses, belts, travel bags, toiletry bags, ties and travel bags.

The Alyssa Cork Clutch

Leefi have a range of clutch bags made from their vegan baobab leather which comes in various colours (black, blue, dark brown, red brown, pink, tan and yellow) They also have one that is a combination of the tan baobab leather together with cork fabric which I absolutely love! The clutch is small (20 x 5 x 13cm) but easily fits, your keys, phone as well as coin purse. The ling baobab leather strap makes it perfect for markets, festivals and evenings out.

The Jula Coin Purse^

The Jula coin purse range colour options match those of The Alyssa Cork Clutch so you can mix it up or match it. It is the perfect item to keep your cash and cards together and can also be used as a mini (14 x 1 x 9cm) makeup bag or as a organiser for the loose small items in your handbag. 

*Dislaimer: Leefi gifted me the Jula Coin Purse

Why cork?

Growing up as a kid, I only knew of cork being used for pin boards. Today cork is widely used for making flooring, wall cladding, clothing, accessories, furniture, as well as home decor items.

Cork fabric is really amazing! Not only is it a natural vegan alternative to plastic fabrics and leather, it is also water repellent, stain resistant and scratch-proof. Leefi’s cork fabric is made from the bark of the local cork oak tree, many of which can be found all over Cape Town. Cork Oak trees are grown without irrigation and without the use of chemical herbicides or fertilizers.

According to Amorim, Cork trees over 25 years of age, are harvested every 9 years by stripping the bark from the tree, without damaging the trunk itself. Because the typical lifespan of a cork tree is approximately 200 years, the cork tree can be harvested around 17 times. During that time the bark will regrow smoother with each harvest. 

Where to Buy?

You can buy a Leefi product directly from their online shop or from their stand at the Root 44 market in Stellenbosch. 

Do you love cork as much as I do? Have you been to the Leefi online store? I’d love to hear from you in a comment below. If you’d like to see more accessories  I have found, have a look here. Alternatively, if you’d like to see more of the green vegan fashion products I have found, have a look here. New products posted regularly.

Let’s get Social!

Be sure to follow Leefi on Facebook and Instagram, and follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up buying one of these products, after reading about it for the first times here, please tag me and let me know what you think. Remember to hashtag it  #thegreenveganchick

© the green vegan chick. All images & content are copyright protected. Please follow my Sharing Policy if you would like to use or share any part of this post.