Urban Finds in an Old Town

Marty Bag $72

             Exploring Old Town, San Diego this past weekend felt like a trip to a different time period, a place where Spanish and English settlers cohabitated and organically created a blend of aesthetics with bright beautiful colors and patterns everywhere. It is peaceful and grounding to feel drawn to the roots of our country; it feels like a place that hasn't changed- a view into what our communities looked like in the beginning.  These are the places that create an appreciation for handmade goods and products- especially those made with a bigger picture in mind.

As I careened through the street vendors, wandering between carts selling enticing braided bracelets which I have a serious weakness for, beautiful Mexican blankets in every color imaginable, cute toys, knick knacks, and tchotchkes on every available surface I found myself facing this adorable turquoise bag which pointedly demanded that I pick him up and give him a gander. So I did. I instantly approved of the soft quality of what I thought was leather at the time, the beautiful color and the quaint braided edges that made me think of a bohemian Native American vibe.

Tan Multi Zig-Zag Wood Handle Clutch $42

I was pleasantly surprised upon further investigation of the brand, Urban Expressions, that this company makes Vegan leather goods.  Interesting as that seems I was still skeptical since Vegan leather basically boils down to uber-processing other materials to look like leather which isn’t good for the environment. A lose, lose situation in most cases, but on top of being animal friendly this company also prides themselves on being eco-friendly, probably a stretch, but not an easy task in the textile industry.  So, I give Urban Expressions props for trying to be environmentally sensitive and still having a fabulous line of handbags. However, the fact that their bags run in the low end of the market at 50 to 100 dollars makes me question their labor practices- I guess being human friendly is something they’ll have to work on. Until then…cute bags <3.