Sustainable fashion: This designer turns cloth sacks into stylish purses. See pics

The Ivory Coast-based entrepreneur has designed a range of purses and other accessories using jute, the material used in the cocoa bags. Ivory Coast uses cloth sacks to ship cocoa beans.

In the last few years, top fashion designers and brands across the world - from McCartney to Louis Vuitton - have promoted sustainable fashion. In India too, upcycled clothing is getting popular. Now, an entrepreneur from Ivory Coast is hoping to score an international fashion hit by recycling the cloth sacks that the country uses to ship cocoa beans around the world.

Liliane Estievenart recycles the cloth sacks that Ivory coast uses to ship cocoa beans around the world. (Reuters)

Liliane Estievenart, 45, hit on the idea of turning the sacks into attractive bags with the stencilled slogan “Produce of Cote d’Ivoire - Cocoa” - a reminder that the West African country is the world’s top producer of the commodity.

Estievenart created her first bag at the request of a clothing manufacturer, and has since gone on to design a range of purses, leather-trimmed valises and other accessories using jute, the material used in the cocoa bags.

Estievenart hopes to supply these bags globally. (Reuters)

In the nine months since she left her old job as a sales associate, she says she has sold at least 600 of the bags as far afield as Gabon, Mauritius, Togo and Ghana. She also has plans to expand.

“There is a high demand by Ivorians, our brothers in the diaspora”, she said. “I hope one day we distribute everywhere throughout the world.”

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more