I used to wonder what happens to old vinyl billboards once the advertising run is up. As it turns out, a good lot of them are handcrafted into spanking hot messenger totes, courtesy of Defy Bags.
Used material for your new bags? It actually makes perfect sense. Heavy-duty vinyl, such as those used across billboards, are water-resistant, extremely durable and literally take decades to degrade in landfills (hence, the sense of recycling it). Even better, the second-hand status almost certainly makes sure there are imperfections in the material, causing each bag to sport a unique character all its own.
The outer flap employs the back side of the vinyl so they can print new designs on it, but the rest of the bag uses the area previously sporting the advertisements. As a result, the bags’ bodies are clad in an unpredictable variety of prints, leaving each messenger a one-of-a-kind piece. They also use double layers of vinyl across the whole unit to ensure prolonged durability.
A total of 28 designs are currently available on the site, most of them touting vintage images as the main graphic. There’s also an option to use your own design for the flap, which is pretty awesome, except for the fact that you’re probably going to order one with Hello Kitty and KeroKeroKeroppi.  Or, worse, Celine Dion – your favorite singer of all time.
Each messenger model from Defy Bags comes in small, medium and large sizes, costing $115, $120 and $125, respectively. The personalized variety sells for $150, regardless of size.
[Defy Bags ]