Ella Vickers Recycled Sailcloth Collection (shown at left) is gorgeous, eco-friendly and handcrafted in the USA using yachts sails from around the world.

Inspired by her days of sailing as first mate on a classic Americas Cup winner, Ella made herself a set of bags from a discarded sail. When regatta guests snapped them right off her arm, Ella knew that a company was about to be born.

The durable and sophisticated designs reflect the nautical lifestyle with crisp white Dacron Sailcloth and hi-performance Kevlar Sailcloth.

The gorgeous Ella Vickers urban-chic collection ranges from the petite cocktail cache’ to the purposeful tote messenger and the ocean resilient duffel. You’ll even find beautiful yoga bags, diaper bags and doggie beds.

The Personal Green Journey

“I started selling my bags in 1989 in canvas shop,” says Ella, “but I originally went to school for natural medicine.”  Ella eventually incorporated, originally as NautiGear (which has since been changed to Ella Vickers in 2000). Today, Ella Vickers features over forty designs including shower curtains, duffel bags, diaper bags and amazing versatile handbags.

And she continues, “This is a small cottage industry.  I work with companies who encourage sail boat owners to return used sail cloths back to the company.  Then I buy these sail cloths at a discount.  This is a great way to stop the buck with wasting a huge amount of material that would normally be discarded.”

“Green” Personal and Business Practices

Although Ella would love to buy all sail cloth as it becomes available, being green means watching out for unnecessary spending and resources being wasted with shipping cloth that may not be used, If the cloth is too heavy to ship from a long distance, Ella believes its “unnecessary to spend money on the fuel.”

The bags are manufactured in two US locations; North Carolina and Brooklyn, NY by a team of seamstresses who are well paid and treated well.

“We are a big family,” Ella shares in describing the process of finding the perfect home to manufacture her designs, “It was a difficult task to find a manufacturer who would deal with the sailcloth. Most companies”, Ella explained, “want material that is new off the roll and easy to deal with.”

But that just would not be the style of this EcoDiva.

EcoDiva Note: “By the way, if you happen to have an old or used sailcloth or old corporate banner lying around, you can even send it in for your own personal bag made from your very own sailcloth. What an amazing gift that would make.”

Why It’s Important To Recycle

Ella Vickers has been sailing her whole life. As she shares, “I’ve lived on and off of a boat when I was growing up. On a boat, you can’t help but become aware of garbage when you are the one who has to lug it to the dumpster.”

After speaking with Ella about her life aboard a boat, it’s easy to see how living on a sailboat is green in a wholly encompassing approach.  “{Essentially},” as she comments, “you are living with the environment wherever you go. You don’t use or purchase fuel unless it is necessary. I grew up living with natural food; it is part of who I am.”

Future Plans For Ella Vickers

Ella’s goal is to reach more people with her designs and as she puts it, “to continue awareness and growth.”  Her intention is to keep manufacturing in-house and always do custom bags because she simply “loves, loves, loves that personal touch.”

The Ella Vickers line will always feature the totes which are very popular as well as the duffel bags as well as the San Francisco collection.

Ella is the primary creative force behind the line of bags, but does collaborate with others, including her business partner Charlotte and her seamstresses. As she says, “We are all a team.”

You can find the Ella Vickers collection on line by visiting www.ellavickers.com. Products are also available in retail shops and art galleries throughout the country.