If you follow fashion news, you might’ve noticed that Cadillac signed on as the first-ever automotive sponsor of New York Fashion Week for men. But Cadillac cars are making a fashion splash in other ways, too: they’re being recycled into high-end bags by Canada’s MariClaRo.
MariClaRo isn’t the first company to take that approach. The beloved Freitag brand has been repurposing inner tubes, seatbelts, and other auto parts for over 20 years. But while Freitag’s bags and wallets have a rough, DIY look, MariClaRo takes seat leather, buckles, and belts to create very refined–and sometimes, very pricey–accessories.
Also, MariClaRo is very focused on making sure customers feel like they’re purchasing something unique, especially when it comes to items in its Drive Collection: “We are transforming vintage luxury car interiors from Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Cadillac and others in unique accessory pieces. Each accessory has the make, model, year and mileage of the vehicle etched in the car seat leather used to create it. You are really carrying a piece of automotive history. All pieces are individually handmade in our studio in Snow Road Station, Canada!”
Most of those items are priced between $300 and $400–on the high end if you’re looking for a disposable piece of luggage to get you through one long trip abroad, but otherwise in line with prices of other well-made bags.
However, there are more expensive it...