Paulina Classic Leather Tote

Size: 13" high x 16.5" w x 4.5" g

Material: 100% distressed cow leather 

Handmade in Mexico

New and improved! We added a detachable zip pouch made from vintage Chiapas textiles to perfect this classic silhouette, that goes everywhere and with everything. Unlined and with no fuss. 100% natural leather is chrome-tanned: no pigments are used in the tanning process and it features natural variations and imperfections that make each bag unique. 

What do customers say? " I am pretty sure I audibly gasped when I pulled the Paulina out of the box. Paired with that Pom Pom? Absolutely dreamy!" - Ilyssa

Impact

This bag was made by four women, including Paulina, in an ethical production group outside of Mexico City. Each bag provides a day's work to women, and a week of life skills mentoring for adolescent indigenous girls through the Catrinka Girls Project.

The women behind the bag:

Paulina works in our partner production coop, where she is responsible for finishing and hardware. In 2014, Lidia, one of Paulina's colleagues, is 50 years old and has been working with leather for 35 years. She started working with our production partner 5 years ago. She loves her job and the workshop environment. Lidia is very skilled, and very passionate. Lidia loves the idea that Catrinka products are made by women and that the bag will be used by other women - this inspires her to do a much better job than she normally does. She loves working with her hands, and loves the challenge of making a perfectly finished artisanal bag. Lidia is married, and has two children and two grand children. She graduated from high school but was not able to pursue a higher degree. She started working in this field because she needed the income, but after some years she fell in love with the techniques, the materials, and the all the processes involved in making handmade bags.

Product photography: Rich Begany Photography. Lifestyle featuring Michelle Vawer and Ilyssa Herrington.