The Matt and Nat Hemlock Handbag (Vegan)

Live beautifully.

Matt and Nat (short for Mat(t)erial and Nature) is a Montreal-based company formed in 1995 to make products with recycled materials – plastic, nylon, cardboard, rubber, cork, and bicycle tires.  Sounds strange? Maybe, but the products – handbags, wallets, backpacks, messenger bags, laptop and i-pad sleeves, briefcases, diaper bags, and more – are stunning, remarkably strong, extraordinarily useful, and very economical.

Most of Matt and Nat’s products are made with vegan “leather” called PU (polyurethane) or PVC (polyvinyl chloride)  because the company is committed to not using animal products. The linings in all their creations are made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles (more than 1 million were used last year with an average of 21 bottles per bag) so instead of going into a landfill, the bottles are up cycled into products that are functional, resistant, and fashionable.

Most women’s handbags are expensive and can reach into hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Not Matt and Nat’s.  Handbags range from $80 – $215 and come in  a variety of colors including black, midnight (navy blue), pewter, nature (beige), ash, walnut (dark beige), dune (medium beige) natural, clay (light blue), citrus, iris, storm (grey), champagne, and poppy (red).

One of the most beautiful handbags made by Matt and Nat is the structured Vintage Hemlock Handbag which is a tote that can also be worn cross body with the adjustable and removable strap.

There is one large zipper compartment with a magnetic top edge closure. Inside is a zipper pocket and a slip pocket. On the exterior sides are more slip pockets.

The bag measures 13 inches by 12 inches by 5.5 inches and comes in five colors: black, midnight, walnut, ash, and nature.

The price:  $165 (but on sale this summer for $115). To order the Hemlock Handbag or view the entire Matt and Nat collection (including the men’s collection), go to the company website: www.mattandnat.com. Shipping is free for all orders over $100.