Virgin Atlantic’s seat covers, reborn as bags

We’ve covered a variety of innovations in the world of sustainable fashion. Now Worn Again–an eco-fashion initiative from UK-based Anti-Apathy–has teamed up with Virgin Atlantic to find a use for old aircraft seat covers and other materials. For several years, Worn Again has been giving a new lease on life to old materials including car seat belts, prison blankets, bicycle tires, parachutes and firemen’s uniforms. Now the company is working to help Virgin Atlantic meet its goal of halving the waste it sends to landfills by 50 percent by 2012. The airline has already reduced the waste it produces in its offices and ground operations, and now Worn Again has produced 2,000 limited-edition bags using materials reclaimed from approximately 1,000 airplane seats during a renovation. The Worn Again Virgin line includes two handbags, a messenger bag and a toiletry case, priced ranging from GBP 25 to GBP 65. All are handmade in family-run and small-scale workshops in Portugal and come with a list of the “ingredients” and sources used. The bags are available at Terra Plana and elsewhere. Eco-minded consumers can only applaud the inclusion of another industry’s waste on the sustainable fashion shelves, and the stories behind each product just add to the appeal. Sustainable designers: keep the innovations coming! (Related: District turns its own banners into bags — Eco-chic entrepreneurs.) Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen