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.Â
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
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