CUBS bags & accessories

recycled luxury

the CUBS story

Cubs bags was started by two moms in Boulder, Colorado, who were certain there was a way to marry true sustainability to high fashion. We knew that “going green” usually meant drab and clunky, on the one hand, and expensive, on the other. Our solution was to tap an entirely new resource: remaindered materials donated from design centers and large contract manufacturers who wanted to clear out space and do something positive with product that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill. With these beautiful silks, leathers and other fabrics in hand, CUBS set about making artisanal bags and accessories that are as fashion-forward and functional as any available while having zero environmental impact.

But the story runs deeper than that. Cubs is actually changing the traditional American model of manufacturing. For many years that model has run as follows: buy product for cheap overseas, have it manufactured there for pennies, and ship it back to the US to sell. The problem with this is that by outsourcing the labor, we as Americans get none of the social benefits of the work involved in making the product, i.e., jobs. The fruits of this model are now becoming increasingly apparent as our service industries boom while our manufacturing base—once the heartbeat of our country—erodes with increasing speed.

Then there are retailers. Their difficulty is that they’re expected to be able to predict market and economic trends six months in advance, and buy stock accordingly. In today’s volatile economic climate, that’s a losing proposition for most retailers.

A CUBS bag is a gorgeous sustainable product made by adult American workers being paid a fair wage. At CUBS, not only do we source our material locally, but because our labor and materials are all on-site, we are able to respond quickly and turn orders around within 30 days, guaranteed. This lean and mean model allows retailers to buy as needed rather than gambling with their bottom lines. Fashion isn’t simply about consumption. It can also be a statement about what matters most in the world. At this moment in time, with America at a turning point, we at CUBS are happy to be contributing a new way forward into the new economy. Beauty, value, and true sustainability can happen at the same time. The proof is as close as the nearest CUBS product.