# Recycled Messenger Rucksacks Jessica Park Turns 100-Year-Old Mailbags into Awesome Accessories By Jordan M | Published 2011-01-20 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jessica-park References: [ampersandasapostrophe](http://www.ampersandasapostrophe.com/main.html) If you've ever wanted a handbag with a whole lot of character and unique flair, then you'll be happy to hear that Jessica Park has released a really cool line of [vintage-styled handbags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/retro-series) made from [century-old postal sacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ralph-lauren-and-usps). Inspired by the romantic imagery of these richly textured icons of a bygone era, Jessica Park founded ‘[Ampersand](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tomorrows-vintage) as Apostrophe’ to market her innovative fashion accessories to customers eager to get their hands on truly one-of-a-kind satchels. The handbags are surprisingly redolent of their ancestors’ look and feel, but because Jessica reshapes the textiles with modern sensibilities in mind, they also succeed as modern luxury carryalls simultaneously. What is especially remarkable about her successful combination, though, is that the bags have an aesthetic that is rugged, but is still stylish enough to appeal to both men and women. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.3/10 - Popularity: 94% | Activity: 88% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Vintage-inspired Handbags:** The trend of creating vintage-inspired handbags using century-old textiles presents an opportunity for disrupting the fashion industry by offering unique, environmentally-friendly, and sustainable products to customers. - **Upcycling:** The upcycling trend is an opportunity for companies to incorporate environmentally conscious practices into their supply chain and operations while creating unique and valuable products from discarded materials. - **Unisex Fashion Accessories:** The trend of designing unisex fashion accessories presents an opportunity for disrupting gender norms in the fashion industry and appealing to a broader customer base that values inclusivity and diversity. ### Who This Affects Most - **Fashion:** The fashion industry can incorporate the upcycling trend and create vintage-inspired handbags by repurposing discarded materials and offering unique and sustainable products to customers. - **Sustainability:** The sustainability industry can focus on upcycling as a way of reducing waste and promoting eco-friendly practices, while offering valuable and unique products to customers. - **Retail:** The retail industry can capitalize on the trend of unisex fashion accessories by offering gender-neutral product lines that promote inclusivity and diversity, and appeal to a broader customer base. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Upcycled Delivery Uniform Bags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dhl-and-subject.md) - [Tubular Supplemental Luggage Bags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jollying-messenger-bag.md) - [Travel-Inspired Handbag Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/patricia-nash-designs-bags.md) - [Co-Branded Upcycled Backpacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rerebuilt-to-resist.md) - [Upcycled Bag Collabs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/freitag-x-tudes-studio.md) - [Functional Vintage-Inspired Bag Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/retro-series.md) - [Posh Plant-Based Bag Ranges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/porter-yoshida.md) - [Everyday Sustainable Bags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/versatile-bags-for-essentials.md) - [Durable Recyclable Textile Bags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/f707-stratos.md)