If you’ve ever been curious about what happens to vintage luxury bags after they go “out of style” or are forgotten about, this New York-based designer has the answers. Sarah Coleman buys vintage designer bags and takes them apart to reupholster and redesign everyday items like folding chairs. These common products can be so simple—and seen everywhere from graduation parties to office meetings—but for Coleman, this is her creative approach to constructing something completely unique.
Back in April, Coleman told GARAGE that her idea came from a massage parlor in Manhattan:
One of the guys outside was sitting on this tiny folding chair smoking a cigarette. I could tell the chair was made really well and of very high quality materials—it looked sturdy even at 20”. I asked them if I could take a picture of the chair and without saying a word they pointed at the owner of the massage parlor standing in the doorway. I then entered the shop and saw at least 12 of the chairs lined up in front of large massage chairs with people sitting on them giving foot massages. I asked him if I could buy some and he told me to call him in a few days. He gave me his number, I called three days later and I went back to the shop where he had a new one for me.
Aside from the folding chairs (both mini and full-sized), Coleman has also made a point to “use the scraps” from the designer bags to create matchboxes, coffee cup insulators, bracelets, a swivel club chair, outlet plates and more, just about all of which is available on her FANCY page. Of course, with the luxury look, also comes a designer price tag. The “Frankie Mini Folding Chairs” start at $1,975 and the larger, “Adiel Folding Chair” goes up to $2,950. The rest of her items range from $125-$14,995. But, if you’re not a fan of the classic Louis Vuitton logo, some products come in Gucci, Fendi or other limited-edition Louis Vuitton prints.
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Coleman’s upgraded foldable chairs, matchboxes and more are just some examples of how to give products a more upscale or retail look and feel, which is something that promo companies having been shifting towards. Plus, this is a creative way to reuse and repurpose luxury bags. It’s sort of a reversal of how a designer turned cheap IKEA shopping bags into a $2,000 luxury item.
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While the designer folding chairs seem to be Coleman’s signature product, we’re interested to see what other products she’ll be crafting in the future. Maybe notebook covers or patches would work.
