Main Menu
Travel Gear

Saku | Upcycled Earth-Friendly Travel Bags

How do you like putting on something in your travel OOTD that is upcycled, earth-friendly & proudly made by the coolest peeps? This boho-chic sling bag from Saku could just be that wonderful streetwear statement you’ll ever carry.

saku

The world we live in now is full of excesses—some good but most are bad. The amount of trash is just unthinkable. And yes, we are losing grip on how to dispose of it without hurting even more our fragile earth. Food, fashion, technology, in everything there’s so much waste.

saku bag cdo

Saku: Recycle. Reuse. Reduce. Repeat.

I found this bag advertised on Facebook. Yes, despite all the hate & fake news in this so-called virtual trash bin, there are still a lot of wonderful finds here. Although, I’m not the kind that easily jumps on anything sold over the internet, this one’s just too good to ignore.

saku

Saku bags are made of used flour sacks upcycled into easy, practical, everyday carryall. It’s tie-dyed with different colors to add that 60s hippie flash. It comes in single & multi-tone versions.

It’s simple but a well-tailored piece. To ensure that it doesn’t easily give up on weight, the makers generously layered it with another sheet on the inside. There’s a little magic to it too—-it’s reversible. So when it gets a lil dirty, you can easily flip & use the reverse side.

saku

Saku is the brainchild of Yuri Perez, a part-time white water rafting guide, part-time entrepreneur & full-time earth saver. It is a backyard craft where everything is assembled in his small house in Cagayan de Oro. He does the sourcing of flour sacks & the dyeing process while his small team does the cutting, sewing, stitching & packaging.

saku bags cdo

What one thing nice about Saku is its support team composed of local women from the community. It’s sort of a social enterprise—or at least dreamt that way. The working idea for now is simple. They were taught sewing basics & share the small profit they make. Friends help out in marketing, selling & everything they could do to get through the next bag to stitch.

saku

Saku cross totes are cool. I’ve used it a lot of times in my travels because it’s a workhorse piece. I’ve slung it in short treks, winged it in city tours, bummed with it in beaches. It’s also sturdy for groceries & even for carrying babies. It camouflages my fulsome potbelly too! Saku is one heaven of a funk piece with plenty of room for personal expressions.

saku

It’s easy to fall in love with Saku, even without thinking how it would look on you. It gives you the freedom to move. It allows you to play with some creative touches by accessorizing it. And babe, it’s also pansexual, so no definitions attached.

saku

For P450 a piece, you get yourself a carryall that momma earth would love. And if it’s not too much to make you feel great, you also help local start-ups to grow. If you want to strut in these or would love to help them, head over to their Facebook page—-you’re just a click away from awesomeness.

-oOo-

Saku-Handmade Upcycled Bags are also available in these outlets in Cagayan de Oro:

Viajero Outdoor Center (Pabayo-Hayes Street)
Kagay (Corrales Street)
Shabby Chic (Pabayo Street)
Guru Rock Climbing Gym (Mandumol)

Photo Credits: Tom Udasco, Rosanna Lim via Saku-CDO

 

Please follow and like us:

Leave a Comment

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>