About Us

Welcome to Cork by Design!

 

 

Our line of high-end vegan cork handbags, bags, purses, and wallets for men and women was inspired by my late grandfather, a leather workman and handbag designer based in Paris, France. As a child, I spent many hours at my grandfather's studio, playing with the tools and leather scraps and admiring his craftsmanship.

 

 

In 2013 I continued this family tradition by creating a collection of beautiful, practical, and environmentally friendly cork handbags, purses, and wallets made with 100% genuine cork leather from Portugal. Cork is an incredibly unique, sustainable, and vegan material that is soft to the touch, durable, water repellent, and versatile. Contrary to popular belief, cork is not in short supply. The bark of cork trees can be harvested every 9 years and the tree will regenerate. In fact, cork trees can live between 250 and 500 years and produce cork. Portugal is the largest producer of cork, with 60% of the world's supply coming from the country. The cork industry is of great importance to Portugal.

 

 

I was inspired to use cork as a replacement for leather while traveling in Portugal and learning about the beautiful cork material and the country's renowned craftsmanship. My designs are based on my personal sense of style and are simple, elegant, and contemporary. However, practicality is just as important to me, so I personally test all my prototypes for weeks to ensure they meet my standards before sending them to production (all products are handmade by expert artisans in a Portuguese workshop).

 

 

At Cork by Design, we are dedicated to creating high-quality, trendy cork vegan products for men and women with a personal touch. Customer satisfaction is our top priority, and we are confident that our products will exceed your expectations.

 

 

Sincerely

Martha Vainer

Cork by Design

Est. 2013