I just recently learned about the cool recycled products that are being made by Escama Studio. At first glance, these items are bags and other accessories made from aluminum can tabs. With further research you’ll find that it’s crochet work that is used to hold these pieces together to make fashionable accessories for the modern eco-minded individual.

What is Escama Studio?

This is a collaborative design studio that is based in two different locations – here in San Francisco and also in Brazil. Designs originate from both of the different studios. They say that their mission is “creating innovative and stylish products from post-consumer and other sustainable materials, through partnerships with producers in underprivileged communities.” The Escama Studios team is made up of both men and women.

How Underprivileged Communities are Served

The crochet work that goes into these products is done by hand in Brazil by women’s collectives. The women who participate in these collectives are considered artists. Each bag has a tag with information about the artist. You can head to the website of Escama Studio to read about each of the different artists. Consumers who wish to can send a thank you note to their artists via the website. The artists earn a livable wage for their crochet work. Escama Studios also tries to help the artists in other ways, assisting them in opening bank accounts, helping them get computer literacy training and providing them with a percentage of gross sales to benefit the cooperative.

Basics of Escama Studios Products

The studio has a basic aesthetic design that it follows when creating its products. They all use recycled aluminum can tabs. They also use traditional crochet techniques from Brazil that have been adapted to create a modern design utilizing these unique materials.

Examples of Escama Studios Products

Here are some samples of their work from their website but I’d encourage you to check out the entire website for more information.

This post originally appeared on Crochet Concupiscence, a blog about all things crochet!