FASHIONABLE, FLEXIBLE & SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE

It’s not paper. It’s not plastic. And now, supporting a Green lifestyle can be fashionable. Lighten your load and help New Orleansits-laS-tik™, the only reusable shopping/grocery bag that goes above and beyond the call of duty. its-laS-tik™ not only helps the environment by eliminating the need for paper and plastic, but it does away with physical stress caused by carrying heavy bags, looks sleek and smart and gives back to a community in need. It’s fashionable, flexible, and socially responsible.

   For years, ideas running through the minds of two life-long friends made it no further than the kitchen table. Designs for ingenious house-hold products, exquisite jewelry and unique handbags, were created in a New Jersey basement and until now, had never made it past than the eyes and ears of supportive family members. Consistently amazed with their talents, creativity and ingenuity, everyone anxiously wondered when they would actually hit on something and show the world what they had to offer. But year after year, they failed to reach the public. Idea after idea, they couldn’t seem to communicate to those who would actually benefit from something thought up in the New Jersey basement. Until one day, one idea proved to be so dynamic and undeniable that even those 8-inch thick, concrete, basement walls didn’t stand a chance of holding it back. 

Launched in 2008, what’S ur bag is a company owned and operated by Susan Princiotto, however, the idea for the company was formed far earlier. Susan Princiotto (designer, founder and CEO) and Joan Elmore-Nutting (Business Development and Marketing specialist), full of ingenious ideas of all shapes, sizes and purposes, originally decided that handbags would be their focus. Together, they had a knack for creating unique and eye-catching designs, and initially produced a recycled denim handbag using old worn jeans, that even caught the eye of several big names in Hollywood. It was brilliant, but the flame died down and the recycled denim bag slipped to the backburner. Their “little company” was pushed to the side and life, and its many priorities, took over.

Soon after, and quite unexpectedly, what’S ur bag came into focus once again. While the whole world was “Going Green” Susan also tried to do her part. She had a compost heap in the backyard and unplugged her appliances at night. She even bought as many reusable bags as her kitchen could handle, with the hope of finding the answer to eliminating paper and plastic grocery bags. However, purchase after purchase led to the same problems… the bags were heavy and weren’t very easy on the eye. The wheels were set in motion, almost uncontrollably and immediately, and her nimble fingers began to sew. She purchased fabrics of all kinds: cotton, hemp and even corn. Prototype after prototype, she struggled to design the perfect reusable shopping bag, yet every final product had one thing in common: they all looked the same. She needed something that worked and something that looked good (because as she has always believed, going Green doesn’t necessarily mean forgetting fashion). 

With the purchase of a shiny green fabric, simply because it was ‘pretty and green’, it was clear Susan was onto something big. Once the bag was complete, she began filling it with groceries, realizing something was extraordinarily different; it held much more than a regular reusable bag. The bag itself actually stretched. Not only did it hold more, but it felt like it held less. It moved, bounced, and then went right back to its original shape when emptied. She washed it, and then washed it again and again, but the bag remained the same.   

  Utilizing flexible fabrics in highly fashionable prints, what’S ur bag created its-laS-tik™ to take the stress off your hands, back, shoulders and knees with their elasticity and flexibility; its-laS-tik™ actually mimics the bounce in your step. While other ‘reusable’ bags don’t stretch, only carry a certain amount of product and remain as heavy as the regular paper or plastic grocery bags they replace, its-laS-tik™ does much more:

•         They take the shape of their contents and hold them securely

•         Move with you as you walk, enabling you to double the load per bag while never feeling the effects

•         Spring right back into its original shape once emptied

•         Are washable, reusable, economical and fashionable

 With a dedication to making their products in the USA (rather than China where most other reusable bags are manufactured), and a love in their hearts for New Orleans, the connection made itself. Driven by the opportunity to provide work for residents of New Orleans, put money back into a struggling economy, help the underprivileged in that economy, and do something helpful for the environment, the dominoes began to fall. Like magic, vendors in New Orleans seemed to appear interested, and a connection to a charitable organization (Hope House) was established. its-laS-tik™ bags are manufactured by Hurricane Katrina survivors and almost every aspect of the company is outsourced to New Orleans natives. The material is sourced there, the labels are made there and even the graphic artist and Web site designer is a native of the city. 5% of the sales of its-laS-tik™ bags is also donated to Hope House and the bags will be recycled there by the homeless community.

The decision to forge ahead seemed to be out of their control, and finally it was time to reawaken their “little company” and launch their brand. The successful launch took place at the Go Green Expo in New York City on April 26 through April 27, 2008, and its-laS-tik™ was welcomed by the Green community with open arms. This time around, they had a product that made sense… and made a difference. “I’ve helped those in need my entire life,” states Susan, “and I’ve felt a closeness to New Orleans that I just can’t describe. I love New Orleans and if I can help the environment while helping a city partially devastated by the environment, I feel like I’ve done some good in, and for this world.”

Fashion Factory Boutique

The stretch of Beverly Blvd. between San Vicente and La Cienega that used to look up to the Beverly Center, the Hotel Sofitel, and the old Hard Rock Café with its iconic – and impaled – classic car, may soon have another landmark on its hands. At a modest 2 stories, it certainly is dwarfed by its behemoth neighbors, but in the eyes of bargain hunters with a passion for high-end designer clothing, it will definitely loom large.

The Fashion Factory Boutique is a brand new, first of its kind shopping destination for Los Angeles, offering designer men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories at 40 to 80% below suggested retail. Yes, you read that correctly: 40 to 80% off! And trust me, this is not your run-of-the-mill “outlet” store with mismatched clothes strewn about and lousy service. This is first and foremost a boutique that just happens to have fabulous, continuous sales.

At the grand opening held earlier this month, we were treated to a red carpet outside and, once inside, a huge round display of Valentino shoes in the center of this open, airy store. Off to the right, hardwood floors and shelves were dotted with bags, belts, and more shoes from the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Chloe, Etro, and more. To the left, colorful suits, coats, dress shirts and sweaters awaited the men. For the more casual guys, there were also plenty of print t-shirts and jeans. 

The staircase in the middle of the store led us up to even more deals for women – blouses, jackets, denim, dresses, t-shirts, and more shoes and accessories – and quite a wide selection of kids’ clothes. 

On this night, celebrities such as Rex Lee and Tracey Bingham and Monarchy designer Eric Kim showed up to shop, mingle, nibble hors d’oevres, indulge in the chocolate fountain and to bob their heads to the dj spinning great tunes. Lee paused to reflect how he used to work across the street at the Beverly Center when he was younger – my, look at him now! Bingham looked like a very happy kid in a candy store as she raced around, scooping up several choice pieces for herself. Kim proclaimed that this is a prime time for a high-end, classy discount store, for during these particularly rough economic times, even the more well-off will begin to feel the effects and perhaps need a place to go to begin doing more bargain shopping than ever before, adding that it’s very cool to have a ton of amazing designers under one roof.

One more lap around the Fashion Factory Boutique before leaving proved that, alas, one needn’t be “well off” to shop here. The prices are well within range of the masses and thus are encouraged to drop by and experience this truly unique place. If you’ve had your eye on a Just Cavalli tank top that you spotted in a magazine or a some True Religion jeans that you may have seen at another retailer that were a bit too much for your budget, I urge you to check this place out. The great atmostphere, ideal location, helpful salespeople – and, of course, the amazing deals – will knock your (designer) socks off.

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