Another birthday craving: Alternative Apparel's The Message Bag

You may remember in June I did a Wishlist Wednesday which included some birthday prezzie ideas for myself. Well, I was flipping through the July 2012 issue of Vogue with Emma Stone on the cover and I totally freaked out over a bag that was featured (pg 58)!

Photographed by Cedric Buchet, Vogue, July 2012

Isn't the bag gorgeous? I love the simplicity of it - I had a bag like it in middle school which I loved, it was a nylon olive green messenger bag, but it had obnoxious velcro and nylon shoulder straps. This bag is one I would feel comfortable travelling with, wearing on casual Friday to the office, or when out shopping at the mall.

Photograph courtesy of Alternative Apparel and Olivia Wilde

Unlike the normal messenger bags that maybe can be used one way, this bag is wonderful as it can be used as a convertible bag. It can be used as a shoulder bag or a backpack so it is also functional for people who enjoy using a backpack. It will carry the classic African safari trend through the rest of this summer and into the cooler months. I could see myself using this bag for years and then swapping it with my leather satchel in late fall and winter.

As described by Alternative Apparel on their website:

This limited-edition cross-body to backpack convertible is a collaboration with actress Olivia Wilde and partner-in-good Barbara Burchfield. The bag features vintage army canvas, pebbled leather trim and antique brass hardware. Your purchase will help spread a message against poverty and benefit the Academy for Peace and Justice in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This is not just a bag, it's an opportunity for an education.

So this is not just about a classic, on-trend bag. This bag is also for charity. This bag will benefit the Academy for Peace and Justice, which was funded by Paul Haggis's charity, Artists for Peace and Justice. Paul Haggis is the filmmaker who produced Million Dollar Baby and Crash. He is a filmmaker who is in touch with society, much more than your average Hollywood star.

Wilde used to vacation in Haiti when she was younger, and the place left an impact on her. After the earthquake, she founded Campaign Happiness to support development throughout damaged Haiti. Her charity, along with Haggis's, have worked together to develop learning centers and other facilities for Haitian children. This bag was designed by Wilde, Accessories Director of Alternative Apparel, Mollie Culligan, and Wilde's business partner Barbara Burchfield. And the price? A mere $138.00. Available at Alternative Apparel's website, at their Abbot Kinney flagship store in Venice, California, as well as on Shopbop.com.

Weight: 21oz / 0.6 kg
Measurements:
Height: 12in / 30.5cm
Length: 13in / 33cm
Depth: 4in / 10cm
Strap drop: 20-28in / 51-71cm

Photographed by Cedric Buchet, Vogue, July 2012

You can read the article yourself, at Vogue online, here.