South of MaDi: Mama's Got A Brand New Bag: The Lucy Canvas

I'm very hard on my bags because I tend to carry a lot of stuff with me.- Laura Linney

When South of MaDi discovers a product line that carries a good story with every stitch of its woven history, we can't resist but to share it. And as the approaching Summer months begin, we restock our lives with flip flops, suntan lotion, and replace our rusty, worn and tattered warm weather items. This season is about un-apologetically having sandy floorboards, bocce balls and horseshoes rolling around the trunk and a plethora of beach, river and lake gear that might as well stay put in the car since we cannot live without these essentials until Labor Day. Without a good sturdy bag, we wouldn't be able transport these necessities from car-to-beach, deck-to-pool, or dock-to-boat.

With this notion of Summer essentials, we introduce you to Lucy's Canvas bags. In the mid-1970s Lucy Mackall made her first canvas bags in her apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts and sold them from a kiosk in Faneuil Hall. Back then, they were made by hand by Lucy and her cousin, Grace Rowe. The line sold into the tens of thousands out of several Lucy's Canvas stores. They became an icon of the late hippy/early disco Boston and Cambridge scene. Some do say to hold on to the iconic things for they will rotate back into fashion eventually.

Fast forward to summer 2012, where Lucy's children, Savannah & Clayton, thought up the crazy idea of bringing back their mom's hit line of bags, with some moderate updating. What you see now is the unadulterated result of their mother's brained idea from a second generation perspective. If you are lucky, you have owned an original Lucy Canvas bag (now considered vintage).

We love this story of a young woman in 1974 who had a simple idea, brought the concept into fruition as a successful business, to later have it revived by her own flesh and blood. Our favorite for this year is the Summer Breeze bag. We can't wait tote the Lucy Canvas this Summer and share her and her children's story!

Shop the Lucy Canvas at www.lucyscanvas.com and visit their Facebook and Pinterest pages!