Take This Made-in-SF Weekender Home for the Holidays

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Grid View

Expand

• Joshu+Vela's new duffle, $160
• Blue A tote, $220
• Red, white and blue two-tone tote, $75
• Wax zip backpack, $300
• Medium boat tote, $200
• Joshu+Vela workshop
• Bag-making tools
• Joshu+Vela workshop
• Leather working
• More leather working
• Making bags

Bags hand-crafted and designed right here in San Francisco, made from USA-grown and woven organic canvas and leathers plus natural dyes? Believe it or not, such a thing exists. The folks at Joshu+Vela make all their totes, backpacks and duffels in their San Francisco studio—that includes the cutting, sewing, leather finishing and rivet hammering.

The result is simple, well-made goods that will run you a few more dollars than that Forever 21 tote you bought in the spring and threw away in the fall. But in the grand scheme of things, it won't cost that much more, and (if you manage to keep track of it over the years) you can plan on handing down a Joshu+Velu to your grandkids.

For example, their new weekend duffle costs $160. A charmingly patriotic red, white and blue tote is $75, and and extra-large boat tote with leather straps is $220. See lots of their other offerings in the slide show! And check them out in person at their Voyager pop up in the Mission through the end of the year.

The company's founder, Noah Joshu Guy, was born in New York City, grew up in Berkeley, and was raised by a filmmaker and a ceramicist. Somehow it makes perfect sense that such a union would engender a hyper-local bag-maker. He started making bags in 2000, and has worked in apparel at Levis and The North Face. He launched Joshu + Vela in 2010.
· Joshu+Vela [Official Site]