Bags, beer and art: Harveys Open Canvas event

Harveys, the company that makes those cute seat belt bags including the “hipster” bag I mentioned recently, hosted a fun event last Friday at its Melrose Avenue boutique. With multicolored Sharpies (official sponsor) in hand, guests were encouraged to put their mark on nearly blank canvases while sipping on cans of PBR (get it? “Open Canvas”?) and munching on bags of chips. There were even two plain white Harveys bags for us to decorate, too.
Tara of When Tara Met Blog met me at the store, and we commenced turning little cartoon faces into a pirate (mine) and a devil (hers). Check ‘em out:

My colorful pirate. I didn't know how to draw a proper hat.

Tara's devil dude.
But the real stars were the bags, of course. One of my favorite lines from Harveys is its Treecycle line, which is made from recycled seat belts and reflects the company’s origins (most Harveys bags are made from new seat belts). I also like the colors in the Treecycle line, which are more muted than some of the other lines but makes a pretty palette together.

Harveys Treecycle line

Love the buckle!
Tara and I were treated to a peek at the Winter 2009 and Spring 2010 collections, too. These are some of the most creative designs from Harveys yet.

Seat belts + ruffles = cuteness (Lola, Winter 2009)

Zipper detailing (Zipster, Winter 2009)

New look: only horizontal seat belts and applique (Bon Voyage, Spring 2010)
Harveys bags and accessories range in price from $28 to $254, which is too pricey for me. But they’re so darn cute!
Harveys is also sponsoring an art contest, which is part of the whole Open Canvas theme. Three artists will not only get to exhibit at their own shows, but their designs for a canvas tote (with a seat belt handle) will be manufactured and sold, with royalties going to the artist. How you like them apples?
















whoah. cool!