Helloooo! I'm Crystalyn. My blog is a peek behind the scenes of how I make my handbags, as well as the people and natural elements that influence my design process. I don't own a car, and live by the zoo with a big oaf and two savage kittens. 
My pleated clutch is included in “The Best Recycled Leather Handbags” on GreenGrechen.com! What a treat!
“Crystalyn Kae is most well-known for her vegan handbags, but recently she’s started creating some clutches with recycled leather for $95. How amazing is this color? What a way to bring some interest to a neutral outfit…”
Today I had the honor of having my bags featured on Treehugger.com! Wow! I still can’t believe it.
That squeaking sound you hear? That’s me trying to scrounge together enough pennies for one of Crystalyn Kae’s luscious climate-forward bags. Handmade in Seattle from start to finish, most of the designer’s distinctive totes and clutches are crafted from patterned vintage textiles—atomic-era barkcloth, florals, and prints from the 1940s to 1970s—that bashfully peek out from between the folds of her Soireé Messenger Bags and pleated clutches.
Also available are the boxy Metier Work Tote, sized and cut to fit your laptop and work files, and the roomy Troubadour Tote, its ruched surface dotted with silver metal rivets. The stage, however, has to be ceded to the curvaceous hobo, which comes in three designs: the vegan-friendly Topstitch and Monarch, as well as the newly released Bohemia, which features recycled leather corners on both vegetable-tanned leather and woven-fabric permutations.Each bag includes a one-year workmanship guarantee.
Please check out the feature on Treehugger, and let them know how much you love your Crystalyn Kae bag!
Crystalyn Kae was recently featured in an article in CT Green Scene.
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“Looking for that classy little clutch or a funky Hobo? Look no further for your eco-chic handbag. There are some great shops online that have made the old new again.
In nearby Seattle, Crystalyn Kokorowski reuses vintage fabrics or materials with a very low impact on the environment every day. Kokorowski’s company, Crystalyn Kae, makes handbags with faux leather, vintage fabrics from eBay or Etsy, and even washable tweed.
I draft my own handbag patterns to eliminate waste, source the best available materials with the least impact, and try to incorporate recycled or vintage fabrics whenever I can, said Kokorowski. Most of my customers appreciate that with so many fabrics and colors to choose from, that their Crystalyn Kae bag is unlike any other designer handbag.
She added that her company also tries to be eco-friendly in other ways. For one, they have no company car. They use a car-share program to transport supplies and hand-deliver to local stores. But when it comes to her bags, she wants her creations to have staying power.
A major factor of sustainability is the lifespan of a product and it’s ease of care. My customers often comment on how well the bags hold up over time, she said. I certainly have a solid following from the vegan community, but I would like to think that my designs attract customers who want an attractive, well-made purse that isn’t trendy. I think eco-friendly is the icing on the cake.
I think that the trend of the ‘it’ bag is beginning to fade away, Kokorowski said in a recent e-mail. Customers are paying more attention to the value of investing in a bag that will be truly useful for their everyday lives and isn’t a logo-encrusted bag that everyone and their dog has.
But thats what makes these handbags so nifty. Manufactured with recycled fabrics has no further impact on the environment. Its the ultimate in green. And for handbags, green really is the new black.”
Crystalyn Kae was featured in Deirdre Imus’ new book “The Essential Green You!”
I adore my Monarch black hobo bag – it’s chic and vegan! She uses a great mix of vintage fabrics and upholstery -grade fabrics that have been scuffed, then glazed to be as sturdy as leather.
I was recently interviewed for the Girlie Girl Army blog – the “Glamazon Guide to Living”. Their site is a powerful voice for the vegan community and I was happy to share my design aesthetic, green lifestyle and business practices, as well as talk about the new materials and upcoming projects I am working on.
“In terms of eco-friendly, vegan handbags that are easy to wear, used daily, and can take a major beating; it doesn’t get any better than Crystalyn Kae.”
Ethically responsible handbag designer, Crystalyn Kae has found a way to unite high style with serious social consciousness. “
In this month’s (February 2008) issue of Martha’s Body + Soul Magazine, my glazed fabric pleated clutch was featured!.
I guess I’d better get to work making more clutches. . .
I love this bag from Crystalyn Kae and I must own one. I realize that I have approximately 12,001 other bags, but I just need to add this one to my collection. It would be so perfect this fall, which I am so ready for already, with jeans and a cute blazer. It also is large enough to stow away a book, which is a requirement in a bag for me, and looks like it would be so practical as your running errands bag.
Plus, although it has a great leather look, it is not made from leather. I know, I couldn’t believe it when I read about it myself, but most of the Crystalyn Kae bags are made from glazed fabric, which is created by coating upholstery-grade fabric with a colored glaze, so no animals were harmed in the makin’ of this bag.
There are other styles like the Topstitch Hobos and the Pleated Clutches, but I like the Troubadour Tote best.
A few months ago the phone rang, and the caller asked to speak to my ’press manager’. Dumbfounded, I answered ” I’m Crystalyn, you can talk to me”. Then total silence. Then she said, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting to speak with the designer. Can I call you back in a few minutes with questions?” So I had a few minutes to freak out, jump up and down, and take a few deep breaths before the phone interview began. They chose my newly-created Metier tote in ale-brown glazed fabric. Here’s a peek at my first major press feature in a national fashion magazine:
