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Key Takeaways:
HYER GOODS is a Brooklyn-based brand creating bags, purses, and accessories from deadstock luxury leather and fabrics.
The 3-in-1 Ring Bag is one of the brand’s bestsellers and features two interior zip pockets, a unique click-ring mechanism and two additional straps for multiple wear options.
The brand aims to be as zero-waste as possible, shipping bags in fabric dusters and repurposing scraps from bag production into wallets and accessories.
Every HYER GOODS bag is truly unique and one of a kind since they are made from luxury leftover fabric; no two bags are alike!
I’m pretty picky when it comes to bags. I want something that feels easy and unfussy, but still looks pulled together. And I find that balance is harder to find than it should be. Shoulder bags, in particular, can go one of two ways: either too structured and stiff, or so slouchy they lose all shape. HYER GOODS — a Brooklyn-based brand — manages to land right in the middle, and that’s what immediately won me over.
I’ve been carrying one of their shoulder bags every day for the past few weeks—errands, workdays, trips to the farmers’ market, quick dinners out—and it’s quickly become a staple in my wardrobe. As a new mom, I find it’s much easier to deal with than a bulky diaper bag (which I love) because it fits a few diapers, burp rags, and even a small toy or two without feeling bulky or like I’m carrying my entire life (or my daughter’s) around.
“Of course, sustainability is key—and longevity. While HYER GOODS first caught my eye for its design, its sustainability initiatives are what really sold me.”
Of course, sustainability is key—and longevity. While HYER GOODS first caught my eye for its design, its sustainability initiatives are what really sold me. Working in the fashion space, you come across brands that make big sustainability claims, and not all of them live up to the marketing. HYER GOODS is different, though. The brand is both beautiful and authentic in its sustainability claims—specifically, HYER GOODS crafts all its products using excess materials abandoned by fashion brands.
“I spent over a decade working in corporate fashion. I watched fabrics get ordered and never be used, and garments pile up on sale racks,” says Dana Cohen, HYER GOODS Founder.
By upcycling what the industry deems “trash,” the Brooklyn-based accessory line keeps materials out of the landfill. Upcycling deadstock fabrics also eliminates the energy footprint associated with cultivating land, raising livestock, growing crops, and producing fertilizers. “Less energy and less pollution mean fewer greenhouse gases,” Cohen explains.
“By upcycling what the industry deems “trash,” the Brooklyn-based accessory line keeps materials out of the landfill.”
The HYER GOOD line includes bucket bags, crossbody purses, wallets, and phone swings. “Currently, our priority is working with luxury leftovers abandoned by brands at our factory in China,” says Cohen, noting that it’s here where they find “fancy skins leftover from fancy brands,” including Italian crocs and patent leather.
But it’s the bestselling Ring Bag ($465) for which the brand is most recognized. In addition to being entirely sustainable and made from luxury leftover leathers sourced from top tanneries that supply brands such as Gucci, Hermes, and Valentino, it’s practical and roomy. I love that I can stay organized with two interior zip pockets. And it features an adjustable strap for ultimate versatility and wear options. There are actually three ways to wear the bag: as a slouchy hobo shoulder bag, as a crescent handheld bag, or as a crossbody (my preferred way to wear it).
My HYER GOODS bags arrived in low-waste shipping materials without any plastic and stored in a dust bag, which the brand recommends using to care for your bag when it’s not in use. I chose the praline suede (a luscious goat suede), though it’s available in seven different colors and luxurious Italian nappa leather. Inside, the bag was stuffed with paper to keep its shape, and the gold-clip straps were carefully packaged in protective paper.
“We work with a manufacturer who crafts buttery leather jackets to repurpose leftover bundles of their most popular skins,” says Cohen. “Sometimes these are leftover because the imperfections were too difficult or costly to cut around…or sometimes they’re leftover due to overproduction.”
One of the best aspects of HYER GOODS bags is that each one varies slightly, as they are made from different fabric lots, resulting in a truly unique bag.
The ring bag is also unique in that it packs flat (you read that correctly!), making it the perfect companion for travel. In fact, we have a trip planned to Europe later this summer, and I plan to use it as my daily mom bag to tote around snacks, sunscreen, and a few spare diapers.
“The ring bag is also unique in that it packs flat (you read that correctly!), making it the perfect companion for travel.”
If it’s not obvious, I’m in love with HYER GOODS and plan to keep this bag forever. If you’re also someone who wants a solid, everyday bag — not a trend piece, not a statement bag, just something you’ll actually reach for — this is the one. Who knows, maybe my own daughter will be begging me to borrow it 20 years from now.
Looking for something “extra trashy”? HYER GOODS makes its wallets and watch bands from the waste of its bags! How’s that for truly zero waste? Follow the brand on Instagram for upcoming product drops.
Kayti Christian is a Senior Content Strategist at The Good Trade. With an MFA in Nonfiction Creative Writing, her work has appeared in TODAY, Shondaland, and The New York Times. Since 2017, Kayti has been uncovering and reviewing the best sustainable home brands and wellness products. Her personal journey through four years of fertility treatments has inspired her to write extensively about women’s healthcare and reproductive access. Beyond her work at The Good Trade, Kayti is the creator of Feelings Not Aside, a Substack newsletter with 6,000 subscribers, and the cohost of the FriedEggs Podcast, which delves into IVF and infertility.
