Belo works with local artisans in Brazil to create beautifully handcrafted accessories made from up-cycled materials such as refurbished seatbelts, plastic bottles and offcuts of fabric. Their sustainable range of handbags and accessories follow the slow fashion philosophy and are designed to be functional and versatile, in addition to beautiful.
About Belo
About Belo
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Feeding Goodness Into The World
Belo is rooted in the ethos of “Feeding Goodness into the World”. In addition to creating beautiful products out of waste, and providing a source of dignified and fair income to their community of artisans, Belo also works closely with a non-profit called Casa De Maria supporting the local community in which the Belo range is made. Through their partnership with Casa De Maria, Belo donates 6 plates of food for each bag sold. So far they have donated nearly 2,000 plates of food and hope to continue and grow to ‘Feed Goodness into the World’.
"The fashion industry is one of the biggest industries in the world. It has the power to help people. It also has the power to exploit" - Charlotte Bingham-Willis, Co-Founder
Read the full interview with Charlotte to find out how Belo works to empower, not exploit.
Why We Love Them
Artisan Craft
Belo works with a talented leather craftsman named Wilson in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He leads a small team of artisans, including his wife and his son.
Cycled
All the leather used by Belo is upcycled dead stock from local leather industries in Brazil. They also use upcycled textiles, as well as recycled PET fabrics made from old plastic bottles.
Eco-Conscious
Belo is an environmentally conscious company that aims to reduce dependency on natural resources by using up-cycled dead stock from the leather industry to create their bags. Additionally, all textiles used are either from recycled fabrics or made from recycled plastic bottles (roughly 8 plastic bottles per bag). They limit cutting room floor waste in their own production, and use as many recycled materials as possible for all packaging.
Economic Empowerment
Belo provides fair employment opportunities for leather artisans in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Gives Back
For every bag sold, Belo donates six plates of food through a non-profit called Casa De Maria in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. They donate two plates for smaller items (wallets and travel accessories). Since starting this initiative, they have donated nearly 2,000 meals to people in need.
Handmade
Belo bags are handcrafted by leather craftsmen in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Natural Material
All leather used by Belo is dead stock from local industries. Each piece of leather is carefully selected to ensure high quality. Since each piece of leather is unique, items may have slight variations in grain or colour.
Transparent
Belo is a transparent company that freely shares information about their production. They produce in Belo Horizonte, Brazil working closely with local leather artisans. They also sustainably source their leather from the region.
