The AVE (All Vegan) Bag Story

Coming from generations of vegetarians/vegans we understand the onerous challenges of finding quality luxury leather free fashion products.  Over the last twenty years many of us seeking leather-free have been substituting one problem for another, buying toxic PVC instead of leather.  The future is here, with innovative new products made from cactus that look and feel similar to leather.  Our handbag line takes this one step further, avoiding as many plastics as possible by focusing on plant-based materials.  Our bags are almost entirely made from cactus, cotton, flax (linen) and rice husks.  No polyester linings here.

Why should we reduce our plastic use?  When I was younger plastic bags were rare, and paper bags even rarer.  I used to go to the market with my grandmother cloth bags in hand to fill vegetables.  Nowadays I see plastic bags, gloves and masks on the streets.  Plastics are also fouling our oceans.   Today, many "vegan" companies produce handbags made from PVB, PVC, nylon and polyester plastics which is making the problem worse and polluting the oceans for animals that live there.

This is the ethos for the creation of the AVE (All Vegan) Bag brand.  I want to create a modern handbag that reminds us all of an era where you can pronounce the names of materials used in fashion.  Did you know that PVC stands for Poly Vinyl Chloride?  AVE is a brand where you don’t worry about toxic tanning chemicals used in leather while having the latest fashions.

Our Goals are Simple

  • We don’t buy from factories that rely on coal power
  • We manufacture as many products as we can close to home in North America or we use non-North America vegan-only factories based on their skills.
  • We use plant based materials.
  • We aim to use as many bio-degradable materials as possible, and recycled materials for the rest.

    Plant Based Materials

    We also care about Ethics, and any factory outside Canada we deal with we ask them to certify the following is true.

    • They do not employ anyone younger than 16
    • Overtime should be voluntary
    • Employees should be paid for overtime
    • Employees have the right to enter and terminate their employment
    • Buildings must be structurally sound
    • Machines must be tested and maintained regularly
    • All buildings must have sufficient exits in case of fire
    • No major major accidents in the past 5 years

      AVE is a brand that cares about the earth and people.  Making the world a better place is what we strive to do.