chloe handbags

There may be no accessory that has come to the fore of the Portland Movement -- that trinity of custom-handmade-local -- more visibly than the handbag.

Small-scale makers are producing witty, elegant and highly functional pieces, from Jade Planet's high-gloss handbags made of repurposed Hollywood movie film, to BD503's vintage leather confections by Bianca Pettinari, who, after years of designing abroad for global brands like Coach and John Galliano, produces from her Sullivan's Gulch studio.

"People are returning to making things by hand," said David Haines, founder of BD503 with Pettinari, who is a Eugene native and a Polimoda International Institute of Fashion Design graduate with 20 years' design experience in Italy.

Many luxury brands have "diluted their value" by mass producing in China, he said. "People want made-in-the-USA, repurposed, and they want a story."

BD503 bags, made of repurposed vintage leather garments and excess high-end leather from the manufacturing process, are priced around $249 to $349. A few of their more expensive bags add certified exotic skin, like stingray, water snake or crocodile, and are $750 and up.

The bags can be found at Manifesto, Paloma Clothing, pedX, EcoVibe Apparel and at BD503.com.

The year-old company has just picked up its third shop nationally,shop gucci outlet including the Joan Shepp boutique in Philadelphia's posh Rittenhouse Square area.

International reach
Leather-worker Larry Olmstead of Entermodal, who uses "pre-industrial revolution" bag-making techniques, including hand-stitching, fields orders for his custom bags from as far away as Hong Kong.

Made from vegetable-dyed leather from Italy, Belgium and Sweden, the bags, which he cuts out by hand from a single hide, are labor intensive, taking about 80 hours to complete.

Along with selling ready-made bags in his Pearl District shop, Olmstead incorporates clients' wishes into the design process, such as dimensions to accommodate a favorite piece of technology. He is booked two years out on custom orders, which start at $2,500.