Father’s day fire hose accessories – for the ethical dad

FIRE HOSE FASHION

Elvis & Kresse’s bags and accessories are so hot they might as well be on fire.

Elvis & Kresse are an ethical brand, creating stunning handmade lifestyle accessories by re-engineering seemingly useless wastes such as fire-hoses, parachute silks and coffee sacks. Reclamation is at the core of the brand, even down to the quirky business cards, which are fashioned using air traffic control flight strips. From classic billfolds and personalised bags, through to unique table mats, must-have belts and cufflinks, Elvis & Kresse have an item to suit everyone that will be treasured for years to come.

The Elvis & Kresse range are made from genuine decommissioned fire-hose and lined with high visibility waste parachute silk. Each piece is unique, bearing the scars from fighting-fires.

Previously deployed in active duty for up to 30 years, fighting fires around the UK, fire-hose makes perfect bags, strong enough to tackle the toughest conditions first time around, the hose has been re-engineered to protect your contents; the hose itself is obviously water resistant, protecting what’s outside from coming inside.

Reclaimed Fire Hose Overnight Bag
£215.50

Perfect for overnight use, travelling, to carry your gym kit, this versatile bag has a  wide mouth opening, meaning you can get all your belongings in and out with ease.

Classic Washbag – £56.50

Protect your toiletries with this tough vintage washbag, never have a leaky shampoo accident again.

Billfold Wallet
£75

Softening with use, the Elvis & Kresse Billfold Wallet never loses its strength. The wallet is lined with reclaimed military grade parachute silk.

No two reds are the same, so the range comes in a variety of shades.

Not only do Elvis & Kresse do their bit by recycling materials, which would usually be heading for landfill; they also donate 50% of profits to charities related to the waste streams. This includes donations from the famous fire-hose line to The Fire Fighters Charity with 50% of Elvis & Kresse profits going to them. It was during 2005 that one half of Elvis & Kresse, Kresse Wesling learnt of the huge amount of unrecyclable fire hose that ends up in landfill every year and made it her goal to change this. Elvis & Kresse was then established to save London’s decommissioned fire hose, after a chance meeting with The London Fire Brigade. Alongside this, virtually all raw materials used in the Elvis & Kresse range are reclaimed using post consumer or industrial waste.

In 2011, Kresse Wesling was named the Laureate for Europe in the 2011 edition of the Cartier Women’s initiative awards; an award to encourage women driven enterprise. Elvis & Kresse have also been awarded the prestigious Positive Luxury Blue Butterfly, a mark of Positive Living awarded to best in class brands and companies that have a positive impact on people and the planet.

Kresse believes in  only choosing story laden materials with incredible character, and making sure to do everything she can to ensure their second life is as long as possible. The ‘waste innovation’ process used by Elvis and Kresse emulates ‘Kintsugi’; the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. The refurbished pieces are worth significantly more than their new, undamaged counterparts.

Previous donations by Elvis & Kresse have been made to charities including WWF, The Wessex Autistic Society, Help for Heroes, Comic Relief, British Forces Foundation and of course, the Fire Fighters Charity in support of the work that they do. Through the coffee sack shopper project Elvis & Kresse have also made donations to CafeDirect, the Costa Foundation, David Williamson Rwanda Foundation, Bettys and Taylors and Union Hand Roasted.

Elvis&Kresse products are stocked globally or online at http://elvisandkresse.com