Artisan Tire Tube Bags

Recognizing the beauty and durability of old tire tubes South Africa’s Mors Design creates elegant handbags and products from the tubes. Mors Designs launched this year at Maison & Objet trade fair during Paris Design week.

Mors Design is a local Cape Town sustainable small business that draws inspiration from the stories of courageous women.  Each bag is handcrafted by local artisans, who are either refugees or women from local communities. Each Mors design is hand stitched, hand woven, braided or patched, the company said.

Made from upcycled tire tubes, every Mors bag exhibits a one-of-a-kind uniqueness often characterized by bright exuberant colors that capture the spirit of Africa. The development, color, standardization, and quality control are coordinated by co-founder Raihana Govender, who oversees each stage of the design and production to ensure that the end result maintains the craftsmanship, authenticity, and ethical values of the brand.

Once the tire tubes arrive at the company’s studio in Cape Town, they undergo a thorough cleaning process in preparation for the hand-cutting and design work.

The inner tire tube is not an easy material to work with. “ People have the misconception that the material is similar to leather and that you’re able to make the exact same products from the rubber as you would from leather,” Govender said. This is not the case. “There’s a lot of trial and error involved in the process before the final product is completed to satisfaction,” she said.

© Scrap Tire News, October 2022