Bag a green piece of fashion history

The Mark Fast (L) and William Richard Green (R) designs

Local councils are not usually known for their forays into fashion and design, and for good reason.  Nonetheless, Hackney Council and fashion’s finest have come together for the latest push in the borough’s ‘Love Hackney, Shop Local’ campaign.

Behold the limited edition (so ‘limited’ that if you don’t go shopping at a local market this weekend then you’ll miss out) re-useable shopping bags – canvas totes designed by top local fashion designers Mark Fast and William Richard Green.

Part of the council’s bid to scrap plastic carriers and make Hackney one of the greenest boroughs, the bags can be bought at Ridley Road and Hoxton Street markets this weekend.

Another batch of chi-chi bags is set to hit stalls in September, with designers Simone Rocha and Atlanta Weller taking the helm for the second release.

Dalston-based knitwear designer Mark Fast’s cobweb-like printed tote is an ode to his trademark holey-yarn garments. William Richard Green’s monochrome offering is a bold, distorted polka dot affair.

Heaps of money or a fashionable kudos won’t ensure you one of these, however. The bags cannot be bought directly but are redeemable through a token system. For every £1 you spend (at a selected range of stalls) on one of the borough’s markets, you get a token. Ten tokens and a little bit of sustainable chic is all yours.

Cllr Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighborhoods, said “Love Hackney, Shop Local’ encourages residents to make the most of what’s on their doorstep by shopping locally and supporting our market traders and businesses.”

For some, a bag is a bag, but for others it may be a piece of fashion history worth jostling through the market to find. Either way, these designer items should help reduce the plastic debris that pollutes the trees and pavements of Hackney.

Friday 3 February 2012 – Ridley Road Market
Saturday 4 February 2012 – Hoxton Street Market