Founded three years ago in Vancouver, Red Flag Design has some designs which deserve a mention. Their Alternate Use Material (AUM) line takes materials which are about to be discarded such as Spectra sailcloth and Hypalon rubber and gives them a second life in the form of bags, wallets, and clutches. Unique and released in limited editions, each has a story to tell. Elements like the numbers on the sails become graphic abstractions finished bags. The reuse of sail materials as bags is especially appropriate given the materials’ inherent strength.

Duffle bags such as those seen above go for $250 (not sure if that’s Canadian dollars). Totes like the ones seen below go for $175. They appear to be well constructed based on some of the product detail images on the website.