Vegan Bags & Accessories Made Ethically In New Zealand
It’s not often you get to meet the person who made your bag, and it’s also not often you find a bag made out of cactus leather… but I’m the lucky owner of a cactus leather bag, and this wonderful woman (Suzie) I’m standing beside in the picture below, made it.
Before we jump into the whole cactus leather bag thing, a bit of a history lesson…
I’ve known Suzie, founder and maker at Velvet Heartbeat since early 2018. Velvet Heartbeat was one of the first companies I worked with as a blogger - I always find it embarrassing reading my old blog posts, but here is the first blog I wrote about Velvet Heartbeat.
Jump forward two years: Velvet Heartbeat has introduced several new sustainable vegan bag options, the bags continue to be made in Suzie’s cosy home studio, and Velvet Hearbeat has grown into one of New Zealand’s most beloved vegan bag companies.
When I say Suzie makes them, I mean she literally designs, plans, cuts, and sews in her Auckland based home studio. Here’s your virtual tour:
As you see above, the studio is fittingly filled with house plants, Suzie has a cosy sewing spot by the window, and the resident cat (or sewing assistant, however you wish to understand the situation) watches over the offcuts that are used as stuffing for other creative projects. Utilising offcuts is just one way that Suzie has built her business on sustainable building blocks.
“We don't believe any animal should suffer for any reason, particularly fashion.”
Velvet Heartbeat’s main value is respecting animals. But instead of swapping out animal leather for plastic leather, Suzie uses a range of sustainable vegan materials.
Dead stock: Using up what already exists, Suzie purchases rolls of fabric that have been discarded by companies who have left overs that never made it to sale.
Plant based textiles: Picture leather alternatives like Pinatex, made from the leaves of pineapple plants. Cactus leather is another new one to Velvet Heartbeat’s collection which I’ll elaborate on soon.
Repurposed/Vintage: Practically, this looks like doing out-of-the-box things, like lining bags with hessian coffee sacks to keep their structure, and lining bag pockets with fabric that had a life somewhere else before arriving at Velvet Heartbeat.
Sometimes Suzie has to bite the bullet and purchase brand new materials such as thread or labels. This is kept to an absolute minimum - she’s not up for creating more waste in an industry that already has so much.
Velvet Heartbeat is proudly “New Zealand Made” certified and PETA approved.
Now to answer what you’ve been wondering… what is cactus leather?
THIS is :
You know what they say, “there’s nothing like a fresh cactus leather bag.”
I’m being facetious. Cactus leather is not common and it’s a brand new concept to me too.
Velvet Heartbeat are the only company in New Zealand who have Desserto cactus leather; a new textile innovation direct from Mexico. Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez (both hailing from Mexico) are the two innovators behind Desserto cactus leather. They created it with the purpose of establishing an alternative to animal leather without any toxic chemicals, phthalates and PVC.
This fabric was only showcased late last year, so it’s a massive WIN for Velvet Heartbeat to be creating with it!
The reason cactus leather is such a sustainable material, is mainly down to the particular variety of cacti and how easy it can farmed in the specific region the material is made.
I’ll walk you through it.
The cacti are farmed in Mexico. Every 6-8 months, the team harvest cactus leaves, taking only the mature leaves so the plant itself is not damaged. No irrigation system is needed to water the farm. The cacti are fed from rain water and the earth minerals which are rich in Zacatecas, the state in Mexico where you can find this wonderful cactus farm. Note: Do not try to establish your own cactus farm in New Zealand. It probably won’t work.
The cactus variety they grow has small thorns, making it safer for the agriculture team at harvest time. It doesn’t die off in winter, and each plant lasts up to 8 years (most other crops like corn are cultivated every year).
You can find all the information about the incredible ways of the cactus plant on the Desserto website, including the farm’s organic certifications and how they ensure biodiversity.
Safe to say, if you are looking for a new bag, Velvet Heartbeat could be a good option for you. My ‘Liv’ Crossbody Bag has only been in my life for a few weeks, but it’s a winner. Perfect for slinging over my body on my bike. My bag is made from cactus leather and lined with deadstock. I even chose my own Japanese remnant fabric lining for the pocket!
Shop Velvet Heartbeat here.
Use code ETHICALLYKATE for 15% off.
As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.