Plastiflex

For someone who’s only crafty/artistic abilities are strictly limited to using a glue gun and the occasional embroidery, I sure have some very industrious friends. Recently a friend of mine decided to have a red hot go at recreating the iconic 1940s plastiflex bags that were extremely fashionable throughout the 40s for their elegant and modern design. The avid vintage enthusiast is well aware that these handbags are quite the commodity and holy grail item for the most style conscious 1940s wearer. But because they have become such a collectors item they are priced accordingly, and due to the nature of the materials they are made from a lot of the vintage ones do tend to be in a fragile condition.

So when my friend told me about her secret squirrel project to recreate these hand bags with the intention of selling them to the vintage reproduction market; I was more than a little enthusiastic. Even more so when she so very kindly offered to gift me a prototype to test drive so to speak. This was at the end of last year and ever since this stylish purse has accompanied many an outfit, for it compliments so many things in my wardrobe. It has endured nights out, been hauled around many a vintage market and has had a toddler unsuccessfully try to pull the tiles off. Sadly the white bangle I’m wearing in these photos did not fare so well, as the same toddler decided to throw it and smash it later that day. Good thing it wasn’t true vintage…

If you’re a plastiflex enthusiast or someone interested in owning a reproduction plastiflex purse, I recommend heading over to my friends Instagram! Here you will be able to spot some of the fabulous plastiflex bags that she has made for herself, and watch the design process as she experiments with different colours and tile shapes. With each individual tile needing to be crafted, coloured and threaded together the process for creating a purse like this is no small feat. It hasn’t been an easy process with a lot of trial and error along the way, but the amount of times this handbag has been mistaken for its true vintage counterpart is a testament to the terrific work my friend is doing.