Mochilas, the traditional woven handbags of Colombia, have been gaining in stateside popularity ever since Cartagena developed into a major resort destination and women began scooping them up at local markets. We already loved these bright boho totes as summer carry-alls, but even more so now that Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler have reinterpreted the ancient craft for their signature (and heavily sought-after) PS1 bag.
This awesomely covetable red woven satchel was borne out of a larger fashion undertaking: the Mochila Project recruited 12 contemporary designers to lend their vision to the ancient art of mochila. The results, which were displayed exclusively at Miami's Webster boutique, were nothing short of spectacular. Bags from Missoni, VBH, Phillip Lim and Matthew Williamson (to name only a few) each bore the signature design traits their creators, and were auctioned off--hearbreakingly, for us city dwellers--in Miami, but we think the most successful of the bags should be put into mass production so the rest of us can have a go a these high-fashion mochila morcels. In the meantime, we'll fantasize about one day finding a rare red mochila PS1 on eBay.
