That Little Plastic Bag

The widespread international movement of eco-fashion has not escaped fashion designers from Israel, Irit Vilensky found her own way to incorporate eco-friendly principles into her fashion range. Her fabric choice? Plastic.

Irit is on a quest to prove that plastic can indeed be fantastic. Not to worry, she doesn't suggest you wrap yourself around with a cling film, but perhaps refresh your closet with innovative accessories that don't only look good but mean good. She recycles the ubiquitous  plastic bags that litter Israeli beaches and parks, transforming them into an uber-chic, colourful line of accessories called Satik. 

The fact that organic fibers are practically impossible to find in Israel and can only be imported at a high expense, does not stop young Israeli designers alike Irit. They do not look for ways to purchase  expensive materials from abroad, instead they create designs from materials that already exist at home.

Irit explained what pushed her to use plastic as her building block: "I wanted to create something beautiful out of something that everyone has at home, so I decided to use plastic."

Each piece she creates is one of a kind, and whether it is  a wallet, purse or a bracelet they are all handmade. Irit says that the concept of using noxious non-biodegradable plastic bags (already banned in numerous countries due to its environmental damages) serves two purposes: firstly it reuses waste and secondly  it discharges the world's landfills of a few more plastic bags. 

Other Israeli designers who can be appreciated for their innovative ways of design are: Gili Ben-Amir who makes bright, eye-catching necklaces by stringing together car fuses, Ayala Froindlich who recycles comic books and even encyclopedias to make her eco-friendly bags and Elanit Neutra who uses the inner tubes of black rubber tires to make her signature soft-leather like accessories. 

Yes, creativity goes a long way and the world is but a canvas to the imagination.