Unusual Upcycling: Tribal Textiles Turned Sustainable Fashion Bags

Unusual Upcycling: Tribal Textiles Turned Sustainable Fashion Bags

Lovingly handcrafted textiles that no longer serve their intended purpose have been upcycled to a distinctive range of fashion bags by the Luxe Project.

The Luxe Project is the whimsical creation of mother and daughter duo, Chutisa and Sharidan Bowman.

Following their Thai roots back to South-East Asia's Hill Tribes, they discovered the beautiful textiles that were once created for ceremonial purposes.

Breathing new life into the vintage, hand embroidered textiles they designed a range of bags, each conceptualised and made to honour and celebrate their craftsmanship.

Most of the textiles are vintage and at least 20 years old, while the bags themselves are created by a select few artisans in the hills of northern Thailand.

The Luxe Project commits to sourcing products from sustainable avenues whilst respecting local, cultural and artistic custom, and supports producers with a fair price so that they can enjoy a fair profit and receive a living wage.

'Working together has made us closer, and we love what we have created together," says Chutisa.

Originally from Thailand, Chutisa Bowman moved to Australia in 1973 to attend highschool, going on to become a senior buyer at Coles Myer and then Director of buying for David Jones.

In a move away from the corporate giants, Chutisa and her daughter Sharidan went into business together in 2013, starting -The Luxe Project'.

'One lesson I learned from working so closely together with my daughter is to be in allowance with each other and to be realistic with both expectations and accomplishments. I always remember to treat Sharidan as I would like to be treated by a business partner. Most importantly I make sure to acknowledge and value her point of view and to know when to be a business partner and when to be a mother." 

Chutisa started her first fashion label back in the 20's, and Sharidan worked as a make-up artists before following in her mother's footsteps and bringing The Luxe Project to life.

For more information, please visit http://theluxeprojectdesign.com/