Rebagz: The Return of Smart Accessories
Written by Kenyatta D. Pious

Chicettes know that it is no longer chic (or acceptable) to not have accessories in the closet that send a conscious message even as they beckon respect for their stylish sensibilities. Case in point: Rebagz, under the Half the Sky Designs, Inc. umbrella, is an eco-chic brand that creates fun bags, from hand-woven recycled juice packs or they are stitched together from artfully cut recycled nylon rice sacks – I know!! How cool is that??

We chatted with Marty Stevens-Heebner, Head Designer and Founder of Half the Sky Designs, Inc., a Los Angeles based brand (with manufacturing in the Philippines) about the latest collection.

What can you tell us about the current collection?
The current collection, which features our award-winning “Life is a Circle” Bag, is focused on style. We consider ourselves a mainstream company, and our style focus is just as important to us as our eco-focus.

Who is the Rebagz customer?
Rebagz seem to appeal to all ages. We find they’re particularly popular with the college and twenties crowd. They’re very motivated by the environmental movement, but they also want their eco-fashion to be beautiful, not beige and itchy as it often has been in the past.

What does “Half the Sky” refer to?
The name is taken from the adage, "Women hold up Half the Sky."

Tell us about the genesis of Rebagz.
I think that using sustainable and recycled materials in fashion is truly the next evolution in style. Prior to creating Rebagz, I had a small but successful business making handcrafted jewelry and decided to expand by designing a line of fun and fashionable handbags. During my first trip to the Philippines, I found a fair trade organization weaving together colorful recycled juice packs and it so vivid and strong I fell in love with it. I also discovered that some of the rice sacks in the Philippines had beautiful designs on them. I got a lot of strange looks from the rice merchants in the market places around Manila when I started collecting them. They couldn’t understand why this crazy American wanted to buy the empty sacks instead of the ones filled with rice.