Fausta Zambelli, the neighbour of friends of mine in Padova, has recently launched Ummagumma, a line of products made out of recycled rubber coming from the inner tubes of tires. She graduated in foreign languages but she became familiar with the extraordinary properties of rubber while working for the family tire recapping company. After being a SAHM for 10 years she decided to put her knowledge to work and apply it to something more feminine and fashionable than tires. She is now transforming inner tubes to handbags, belts, shoes, sandals and even vases.
This is a true example of eco-design, giving a new function to something that has outlived its use. Nowadays, in fact, tires do not employ inner tubes anymore so there is a huge surplus of them. Mrs. Zambelli has discovered that this rubber – when combined with butyl – shows amazing characteristics of strength, stretch, and is 100% waterproof. Amazingly with prolonged use, rubber even softens and “ages” as gracefully as the finest leather.
Each product is produced with the same skills and care normally employed with top Italian leather-goods. They are produced in limited series and are laser marked. Honestly, when you see those bags it’s difficult to believe they are made of rubber!
Last summer they were a hit in the very exclusive mountain resort of Cortina, they were on sale at Biffi in Milan and the owner told me she just received an order from a Californian store.
So watch out, if you see a black Kelly-like bag sported by an eco-conscious woman, it may be an Ummagumma!

-Michela