Escama Studio

Escama Studio is a collaborative design studio based in California and Brazil. Their flagship product is a sleek, handcrafted line of women's bags made from 100% post-consumer recycled aluminum pull tabs.

To achieve their singular aesthetic, the Escama Studio team adapted traditional crochet techniques used in Brazil and imbued this tradition with a modern design sense and new materials. With designs originating from both San Francisco and Brazil, the bags are hand crocheted in Brazil by women's collectives who are not just contract manufacturers, but an integral part of Escama Studio.

The artist cooperatives buy tabs by the kilo from aluminum recycling centers located near Brasília, Brazil. The tabs are collected by recyclers who sell large quantities of scrap aluminum to the recycling centers. The artists prepare the tabs in several stages before they begin the work of crochet: the tabs are washed and rinsed several times with clean water, they are then disinfected, polished and then trimmed of sharp edges.

Individual artists working in the cooperatives are earning a fair living wage for their work. Income generated from their craft work is significantly higher than the Brazilian minimum monthly wage.

 

A fundamental part of Escama Studio is to credit the artists who create each accessory. Each piece comes with a hang tag bearing the signature of the person who made it.

 

Francisca Ribeiro de Souza designed the first Socorro bag in late 2003 and this established the design theme for their current line. The other bag models have been developed jointly with designers and with the cooperatives who are experts in the art of crochet.

The result is an elegant and striking collection of accessories that illustrates their mission: creating innovative and stylish products from post-consumer and other sustainable materials, through partnerships with producers in underprivileged communities.

 

Escama Studio is situated in California, USA.
Click here to purchase handbags from Escama Studio, available on Eco-Handbags.ca