Randi Obenauer scours thrift shops for leather treasures that will find their way to her home studio in Victoria on Vancouver Island. There, the leather cast-offs will be repurposed into trendy recycled leather bags and sold in Vancouver and Toronto boutiques.
Obenauer is a fine arts graduate from Thompson Rivers University. The artisan loves envisioning and creating bags from her thrift shop finds. She holds a certificate in automotive upholstery which combined with her design and industrial sewing skills, are the perfect fit for her chosen profession of turning recycled leather into luxury purses.
Recycled Luxury Leather Bags
Cast-Offs Upcycled and Repurposed by B.C. Artisan
Trend Themes
1. Upcycled Fashion - Disruptive innovation opportunities lie in developing new methods and technologies to upcycle discarded materials into fashionable products.
2. Sustainable Fashion - There is a growing demand for sustainable fashion options, creating opportunities for businesses to incorporate recycled materials into their designs and production processes.
3. Circular Economy - The circular economy model presents opportunities for companies to embrace a closed-loop system by repurposing and reusing materials, such as upcycling leather cast-offs.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Accessories - Disruptive innovation opportunities exist in the fashion accessories industry to incorporate recycled and upcycled materials, attracting environmentally conscious consumers.
2. Thrift Shops - Thrift shops can explore disruptive innovation opportunities by partnering with artisans who can repurpose and transform discarded items into trendy products, contributing to sustainable fashion initiatives.
3. Retail - Retailers can tap into disruptive innovation opportunities by investing in and promoting sustainable and upcycled fashion items, catering to the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products.