No waste with the Ventana Clutch!

As you probably have noticed, vintage textiles rock out as the centerpiece of many of our bags at PresentlyIn. It's such an honor to upcycle these vintage finds which I constantly am on the hunt for across Peru.  One of my favorite examples are the gorgeous one-of-a-kind belts or cinturones that are woven by hand on traditional looms and worn by Quechua women in the Cusco region. These incredibly detailed and colorful belts have taken on a second life to become the straps for our popular bucket-style handbags, the Cinturon Mochilla Bags. I swear, every time we make these, they sell out so quickly! They are so much fun to create.

To measure the perfect length strap, we often end up with scraps or textile remnants that I can't stand to let go to waste. I really believe that every little bit of these textiles tells a story of Peru & it's artisans with it. This is why I had been collecting these for a while, refusing to throw them out, acting a tad like a textile hoarder. Yes, I have plastic bins overflowing with these pretty honies just waiting for something awesome. Then it finally came to me when I started thinking about designing with leather.  Taking a contrasting material and texture like leather really can make even a small bit of textile just pop. So,the idea for the Ventana Wristlet came to me.

I named them "Ventana" meaning 'window' in Spanish because each one of these adorable leather bags houses a "window" showcasing a textile remnant. 

These fun and flirty wristlets combine ancient textile tradition with modern hippie style. Would love to hear what you think about this new style in our shop. Please share your thoughts!! Many thanks and xoxo, Dana