Candy Wrapper Chic
By Christa
Nahui Ollin designer Olga Abadi discovered the ancient Mayan technique of binding everyday materials into handbags at a cultural festival in Mexico. She turned her discovery into a green business by creating fun designs for bags and accessories (headbands, keychains, for example) that are produced by individual artisans under Fair Trade and sweatshop-free practices in Mexico. Where do the candy wrappers for the Black & White and other lines come from? They’re essentially discards that would otherwise end up in landfills – not every candy wrapper comes out good enough to pass quality control.
For those who aren’t so sure how a candy wrapper handbag would hold up to daily use, folded and twisted candy wrappers are actually surprisingly durable. We’ve had candy wrapper bowls crafted in Nepal for years now, and they’ve stood up to use and abuse by us and a toddler.