Your next handbag may be MORE than just fashionable… it might just hold a journey worth a thousand miles!

Today on Indy Style, we meet Emma Hagenauer, Brand Manager, PUP, as she tells us how 10,000+ Amtrak train seats are being turned into luxury leather bags. 

About: 

•    After thousands of miles on Amtrak trains, 10,000+ seats are starting a new journey. Amtrak reached out to People for Urban Progress (PUP) to create a limited-edition line of goods using upcycled Amtrak leather seats. Each one is handmade here in Indy.
•    People for Urban Progress (PUP), an Indianapolis-based nonprofit specializing in advancing good design and civic sustainability, announced today a partnership with Amtrak to recycle leather seat cushions and covers from 20 refreshed Amtrak Acela train cars and save those materials from landfills by transforming them into luxury bags. 
•    The partnership is a direct result of how both companies fully embrace sustainability as a fundamental part of their businesses. This landmark project is PUP’s first national endeavor, and a new initiative for Amtrak as well.
•    The first launch of the slate blue luxury leather bags includes totes, backpacks and dopp kit. Approximately 2,500 bags are expected to roll out in small-batch releases of 150 during the next 10 to 12 months as the seat coverings are re-purposed.
•    All designs are developed and hand-made by the designers at PUP, who also developed the process of re-purposing the seats. This includes separating the leather from the foam seat, washing the leather and then allowing the materials to air dry. Once dry, the leather is cut and sewn together to create each product.

To learn more, visit www.peopleup.org.