in Accessories, Designers + Brands, Materials

Luxurious Cork Fabric

by Delia Montgomery December 18, 2009, 7:52 pm 114 Views

Cork production methods continuously change, yet harvesting practices remain. Such a fine example of merging cultural respect with new technologies is Corx. This is a company in Sonoma, California with production in Portugal. There they make a new material, cork fabric. The fabric is organic and renewable, with characteristics similar to leather.

Features are:

Durable and supple as leather
Silky-soft to the touch
Easy to clean
Stain and scratch resistant
Water resistant
Lightweight
Impervious to fading
Tolerant to extreme heat
Unique due to the nature of cork
Environmentally friendly
Versatile; they go with everything!

Wow, feels sensual just writing about it! In summary, Corx claims their eco-friendly fashion accessories are made without harming cork trees, animals, or the environment, ‒ in any way.

Sheets are made from thin strips of cork to create a fabric that is similar in many ways to leather. The sheets are then hand-sewn together to create the Corx bags. Each is made one at a time in small shops located throughout the cork-growing region of Portugal.

Expanko, Inc. is an environmental flooring company in Pennsylvania. From their site is a bit of cork history, explaining that the material has been an integral part of social and economic segments of many societies for over three thousand years. Uses are recorded as far back as 3000 B.C. when Chinese fishermen created cork floats. We all know by now how wonderful cork flooring is.

As pics here reveal, the Corx handbags and wallets look divine and luxurious. If cork fabric equates to such durable eco-style, I want to know what other goods consumers may expect?

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Written by Delia Montgomery

I am Delia, d/b/a Chic Eco on www.ChicEco.com, and established myself as an eco fashion guru by learning "who makes what in the world of environmental fashion and design."

Enjoy reading some of my freelance writing about environmental design, fashion and art -- from both consumer and supplier perspectives. You may notice I focus most on individual eco designers, movers and shakers.

From sustainable fashion apparel to paint and flooring, discoveries are a rush. I get my kicks this way. I also offer sales representation of earth-friendly designed products for wholesale buyers. Retailers may take advantage of my services with factory-direct pricing. Spend less time sourcing and prevent green-washed purchases!

My other forte is connecting suppliers with business-to-business tools. Aspects of my business vary with consulting services while I'm proud to be the aide that embraces unique and innovative gigs.

I'm originally a Kentucky Blue Grass gal who relocated to Maui early 2006 and the tropical Puna District of Big Island, Hawaii late 2007. Walk the talk is my motto here.

Early 2009 I constructed a yurt home office in a semi-urban setting on a tiny lot. My water comes from the sky, contained in a catchment that's not likely to dry in this rain forest. The electric is designed for solar conversion. I grow about 30% of my food organically, compost, and recycle to the hilt. Permaculture with a full eco system is my gardening style.

In fact, gardening is my ultimate joy. I seek gigs like design, weeding and planting between other jobs. My love is Hawai'i which has more climate zones than any state. There are frequent earthquakes here, typically under a 3.0 magnitude, and I happen to dig the vibrations. It's a wonderful simple life in paradise. As I grow older and wiser, I become more and more grateful.