There are many designers that offer sustainable options in handbags, but none are as eco conscious as the Elle Portable Light Project Bags. Elle magazine teamed up Sheila Kennedy from Portable Light Project to come up with solar paneled bags. Designers including Diane Von Furstenberg, Loomstate, Tommy Hilfiger and Loeffler Randall designed one-of-a-kind bags for the project.
Sheila was inspired by a trip to Mexico in a small rural town where they lack energy resources. She then designed a bag that was a light and power source with a flexible solar panel, rechargeable batteries, HBLED light, and USB port. She is now the director of Portable Light Project, a non profit that provides solar textile kits to rural and poor nations that do not have access to electricity. The organization provides training to women in these countries by teaching them to integrate the kits into blankets, rugs and other handmade textiles to generate energy and light.
According to the website, Portable Light Project "is a non profit research, design and engineering initiative established by KVA MATx that creates new ways to deliver de-centralized renewable power and light to the developing world. Each portable light unit is a simple, versatile textile with flexible photovoltaics and solid state lighting that can be adapted to local cultures and customized by people using traditional weaving and sewing technologies in an open source model." (source)
Now, these one-of-a-kind bags are up for auction. How cool would it be to own a bag that can charge your phone? Not only is this incredibly chic, but 100% of the proceeds go toward the Portable Light Project. By bidding on one of these bags, you'll be helping women and children in struggling nations including Haiti, Mexico, India and Africa.
Check out some of the bags below and bid now.
A chic tote by DVF
Talk about the perfect travel bag-Tommy Hilfiger
Stay connected while you're at the beach with this tote by Loomstate
Bidding starts at just $99!
