World > U.S. > Maine > The Portland Area

Sea Bags

Fittingly located just steps from the water's edge on Custom House Wharf, this busy studio-cum-retail shop makes one thing: sporty, one-of-a-kind totes sewn from recycled racing sails. Launched in 1999 by Hannah Kubiak and Beth Shissler, the company is riding a wave of success by creating a new breed of stylish “Maine-made” products. Sold in three sizes, the crinkly white or off-white bags made from Dacron and Kevlar are emblazoned with colorful graphic insignia designs—numbers, stars, and nautical anchor icons; each is finished with hand-spliced rope handles and is, of course, water resistant.

Insider Tip: Even though select stores around Maine carry Sea Bags, it's worth a trip here, to the company headquarters, to see rarer bags from collections past, which are festooned along the studio rafters—it's like a mini-museum.