Burma Backpack Tote - Zippered

The Burma collection is currently a limited edition of one-of-a-kind totes.  Each vegetable-tanned leather tote is handcrafted with a portion of textile, handwoven by women in Burma.  Through delicate and time-consuming craftswomanship, they create regionally specific patterns in cotton and wool. This work is an important source of income for their families.  This version has pull-through straps that allow it to be worn as a tote or a backpack.

DETAILS:

• dimensions: 16" H, 14" W, 4" D
• chrome-free, naturally veg-tanned leather from Horween Tannery in Chicago
• woven panel, handmade by women in Burma
• solid brass hardware
• buckle adjustable, leather straps
• Can be worn as a backpack or over the shoulder as a tote
• 14" red zipper top closure
• internal canvas  8W" x 6"H pocket with leather trim
• solid brass feet
• key leash
• unlined
• front of bag and tote stamped with Life on Mars Goods logo

Because I have only a limited amount of their weaving right now, there is a limited amount of totes.  I am working to find ways to regularly order from these talented women, who rely heavily on tourism and the sale of their art as a means to earn a living.  Travel bans and canceled trips, resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, have hampered their limited opportunities.

No two totes will be exactly the same - each created around the colors and design of the portion of weaving, with which I begin.  I aim to honor their creativity by making each a special piece, with an identity of its own.

Life on Mars Goods is a sustainable maker, dedicated to using natural materials, and finding less toxic, more environmentally-friendly alternatives to many of the synthetic products found in fast fashion bags and accessories. 

I look for leathers that are tanned without carcinogenic chrome and not coated with polyurethane, as many on the market are.  I avoid plastics, as much as possible, and use water-based adhesives. I ship in recycled boxes and pack with biodegradable tape. Additionally, I am gradually adding vegetable-based fibers such as Piñatex, made from pineapple fiber, Desserto, made of cactus fibers, and cork, which can be harvested without damaging the trees it comes from.  My aim is to offer products that last you for years and reconnect us with the natural world.

Handmade by a real person in Chicago.