NewBlue Bags in Austin Encourages Sustainable Fashion

As we welcome the spring season’s hottest trends, tote bags are making a massive comeback in the fashion industry.

Vibrant and eco-conscious, Austin also happens to be buzzing with tons of sustainable accessory brands using cutting-edge technology to protect our environment, and NewBlue Bags is at the top of the list.

Biodegradable, machine-washable and elegant, these aren’t your average tote bags.

Made locally by seamstresses right here in town, these stylish carriers are manufactured out of OEKO-Tex certified plant fibers, a special washable paper fabric that founder Tish Phillips imports from Germany. The coarse material is designed to soften with age the more you wear and wash it. Plus, the practical bags help slow down the global warming crisis by inspiring others to stop using plastic materials.

“The goal is to build a better bag and help people remember to carry their bags,” explains Phillips.

She first launched the brand during the beginning of the pandemic at the Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller. Its growing popularity has allowed the company to test-market products while receiving customer opinions.

“I want to hear a lot of feedback,” says Phillips. “People always tell me it takes a while to get used to it, but it does help them to remember to carry their bags.”

From The Austonian to The Soco Tote, the paper NewBlue Bags collection is long-lasting and durable. Phillip’s intention for the designs was to create beautiful, everyday looks that you’ll want to take everywhere. But the brand’s greater mission is to inspire Austinites to live a sustainable lifestyle without comprising personal style.

“I believe NewBlue Bags can encourage sustainability by showing that reuse can be chic, practical and ultimately become mainstream in the United States,” says Phillips. “We have found that people will remember to carry their own reusable bags when they look good carrying them.”