Crystalyn Kae Blog

Throwing it back to 2001, when these were our very first handbag designs made out of vintage wool pants! It wasn't always vegan, but we kept it sustainable all the way. #tbt #CrystalynKae15 #SustainableAccessories photo: @jgomer circa 2001

Such a treat to meet loyal fan for 10+ years Marisa @vegucated stop by our #craftsoncolumbus booth today with her Charleston large hobo! #veganhandbags #madeinusa #craftshow

Holy cloudbursts! Our waterproof bags at their finest- the rain is rolling off beautifully! 

Using the lovely English morning light to pair zipper tape with swatches of new colors in the works for fall. #sneakpeek #airbnb #design #veganhandbags (at England, Manchester)

We source over 30% of our recycled leather for our bags at McPherson wholesale leather supply in Seattle. They collect leather scraps from suppliers all over the country and allow designers to purchase at a discount.  This provides us guilt-free access to gorgeous leather scraps, which we rescue to create our recycled leather handbags.

Meet the Vendor: Crystalyn Kae Accessories - Urban Craft Uprising

Who are you and what do you do? I make hobos, totes, and cross-body bags with a unique blend of sustainable materials. The main core of my designs are made with glazed fabric – which is a coated canvas that looks and feels like leather – but is vegan and machine washable. From there …
urbancraftuprising.com

At Crystalyn Kae, we've been creating bags from vintage textiles since 2001. We love the unique character and history that vintage textiles bring to our bags, and we know our customers do too.

My new favorite customer Gina rocking her new #metiertote in our booth at Washington Square Park Arts Exhibit. #veganbag #madeinnyc (at Washington Square Park)

Can barely carry this stack of orders! The new cross body pouch all beautiful wrapped- will ship out today!! #veganhandbag #madeinusa #entrepreneur (at New York, New York)

Getting the girls perfectly aligned for our fresh new spring photoshoot

Travel Tuesday! One of our favorite customers, Chloe, just set us a photo of her Troubadour Tote in Frankfurt, Germany! Although this color is sold out, there are a few special edition tweed Troubadours for SALE on our website! 

Totes, wallets, croissants and coffee. What more can you want? All available in store. :-) #veganshoes #veganbags #veganwallets #vegan #vegancroissants #veganstyle #crystalynkae #theveganconnection #lasvegancage

photo via Vegan Style.

Loyal Crystalyn Kae customer, Deborah Jacobs recently asked me if I would create a sophisticated laptop travel bag.  As the owner of several of my bags, who travels nearly 40% of the time said:

“It is your work I admire, and makes me feel great”.  -Deborah Jacobs, World Librarian for the Gates Foundation

How could I say no to that?

The key features to include in this unisex briefcase for travel:

1. Appearance: clean lines like the Metier tote. Not too masculine, not too feminine
2. Hold a laptop, plus room for folders and paperwork
3. a padded, removable laptop sleeve in a funky pattern, with zipper closure
4. Sturdy, but flexible enough to completely flatten and pack inside a suitcase
5. 2 large pockets on the outside, and pockets galore on the inside
6. Straps: two short padded handles to carry the laptop bag by hand, and one long, removable crossbody shoulder strap that can attach with clips