Northshore Magazine

December 2014

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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280 nshoremag.com December 2014 photographs by dan st. john due north connie carman, kathy cormier, and Michelle Kane comprise the woman- owned company responsible for stylish, earth-friendly accessories made from recycled newspapers. Couture Planet's bags, clutches, and wristlets are gaining widespread notoriety, not only for their clever designs, but also for being the ultimate upcycled product. Can you describe the company's mission? Couture Planet's mission is to manufacture fashion-forward, Made in America handbags from 100 per- cent post-consumer newspaper, while simultaneously creating a company that is sustainable and locally driven. We use all of our valuable resources—includ- ing natural resources, hu- man resources, and repur- posed resources. We want our products to represent upcyling at its best. What is your definition of eco-fashion? It's fash- ion that is made or sourced locally with consideration given to the environment during every step of the design and manufacturing process. We are proud to be a company that uses re- cycled materials and main- tains a small footprint. What is your creative process? The newspaper somewhat dictates the size and shape of our bags. The content and images in the daily newspapers drive our creative process of making "fabric" from the recycled newspaper. We wake up early every day to see what the daily papers contain. We continue to get excited by coverage of fashion, travel, food, culture, and local news. Can you describe what goes into manufacturing a bag—from begin- ning to end? We collect large amounts of recycled newspaper every day with special attention paid to the Sunday papers and various lifestyle sections appearing throughout the week. From these papers, we choose content and images that speak to us. The newspa- pers are folded, treated with a cool press laminate, and cut for sewing in our shop in Lynn. Then, the handbags are finished with hardware. Where do you find inspiration? We fin inspiration, literally, everywhere. The newspapers are full of content and images that excite us. We look to the world of fashion for direction and gain inspiration from both the eco-fashion and Made in America movement. We are inspired by the fact that people are beginning to ques- tion where their products are produced. We also appreciate that we are able to produce our products locally. We employ the underserved whenever possible and make a great effort to support the local community and economy. What do you envision for Couture Planet's future? We are seeking more funding to expand our brand across the country and beyond. Newspapers are an important part of history, and every Couture Planet product becomes a piece of that history. mycoutureplanet.com q + a Planet Product Couture Planet's newspaper handbags take recycling to a whole new level. By Kiley Jacques Couture Planet, Lynn Fashion Frenzy Connie Carman. Below, Michelle Kane

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