YSL’s Muse Two Handbags

Yves Saint Laurent’s new Muse Two Artisanal Recycled handbags, in a limited edition of 60 (with no two exactly alike), carry the YSL big-brand imprimatur, but they are decidedly different from mainstream top designer gear, skillfully produced from recycled cotton and discarded plastic bags by women artisans in Burkina Faso. The dignified handbag, a variation of the classic YSL Muse, will set you back some, but you can wear it with a sense of high style and a clear conscience—the environmentally correct bag’s hefty price contributes to the GAFREH Association, a women’s collective supported by Les Filles du Facteur, a nonprofit association that helps women and children in impoverished countries around the world.

38 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, 1st, 01.42.65.74.59. 6 pl Saint Sulpice, 6th, 01.43.29.43.00. website

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Originally published in the June 2011 issue of France Today