Rothy’s — one of Meghan Markle‘s favorite shoe brands — has launched into a new category: handbags.
The San Francisco-based label today debuted its first range of bags, which use fully recycled materials. The bags, knit to a given shape in order to limit waste, are designed to be machine washable and long-lasting. Styles are made with a mix of marine plastic — a new material for Rothy’s — and its signature upcycled plastic bottle knit.
According to the company, roughly 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans each year, and for this particular collection, the marine plastic comes from high-risk beaches and environments, a practice intended to make the most impact.
“We continue to broaden the base of our raw materials,” SVP of merchandising and product Erin Lowenberg told FN. “And we’ve gotten to a point where we were ready to try to include more and do something differently and not just continue to use our normal recycled fibers, but to actually use and incorporate marine plastic. Every little bit helps. Every inroad into finding a way to get that material in use helps our Earth.”
Watch on FN
To start, Rothy’s offers five silhouettes, which are available online beginning today. Products range in cost from $65 for the mini Catchall to $350 for The Handbag.
We wanted to make sure that this collection felt the way our footwear line does, which is that front-of-the-closet shoe. We needed a top-of-the-shelf bag,” said Lowenberg. “For us, it’s just the beginning of building something that feels for her like a lifestyle choice, a new kind of luxury, meaning it’s eco-friendly, earth-friendly. There’s sustainably minded people behind it.”
Rothy’s was named FN’s 2019 Brand of the Year for its eco-friendly, commuter-favorite styles. Meghan famously wore its $145 The Point pumps during an October 2018 trip to Australia. The brand has found other A-list fans in Katie Holmes, Jenna Dewan and Jessica Biel, to name a few.
“We’re building a long-lasting brand by being inventive in every category we can be,” Rothy’s co-founder Roth Martin told FN in 2019. “It’s that kind of thoughtfulness we have permeating through our entire organization.”
Below, we’ve rounded up a selection of stylish bags from the new collection. They come in fun colors as well as more classic options that we could picture the Duchess of Sussex choosing. You can’t really go wrong with any of them.
To Buy: Rothy’s The Essential Tote, $275.
To Buy: Rothy’s The Handbag, $350.
To Buy: Rothy’s The Essential Pouch, $95.
To Buy: Rothy’s The Dual-Zip Crossbody, $175.
To Buy: Rothy’s The Mini Catchall, $65.
All products featured have been independently selected and curated by our editorial team. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn commission and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Want more?
One of Meghan Markle’s Favorite Shoe Brands Just Gave a Classic Style a Modern Twist
Rothy’s Reduces Waste, Improves Communication With Centric Software and Apps
