Shannon South

Shannon South is the founder of reMade USA, a San Francisco-based product design company that upcycles used leather to make handbags.

She grew up in South Florida, spent nine years living in New York, broken up with stints around Europe for work or study. She believes that travel is one of the most inspiring things a person can do to open their mind to new ideas and ways of problem solving.

Shannon has a masters in industrial design from Pratt Institute with a focus on furniture design. Straight after graduation, she moved to the Netherlands to work with internationally acclaimed designer Marcel Wanders, where she learned to appreciate the value and the beauty of the story in design.

Shannon has a strong belief that the more knowledge a person gains on the issues our planet is faced with, the less they can ignore their responsibility. Her hope, through reMade USA, is to create awareness through beautiful products, while leaving the tiniest footprint possible.

Make reMade USA’s Recycled-Leather iPhone Case (DIY Tutorial)

reMade USA Upcycles Leather Jackets into One-of-a-Kind Bags

I’ve been making handbags for almost 15 years. It’s a weird obsession that started in 1995 after I spent a semester studying in London. A few years ago, I had small business producing really cute, hot-pink PVC laptop bags in China. As I learned about the state of our planet and the impact of the fashion industry, I felt increasingly guilty about the path I was on. My new line, reMade USA, was borne out of my frustration over the dearth of durable materials that didn’t harm the environment. My solution: Used leather, a material found in spades at thrift stores in the form of jackets, many of which are probably en route to a landfill. Because no two jackets are alike, the process of deconstruction and creating a bag is unique.