By Maria Allen
The ultimate summertime tote has arrived, thanks to the ingenuity of oyster farmer Brooke Lovett, manager of Rocky Nook Oyster Farm in Kingston. Made from durable aquaculture materials, The Oyster Bag is both stylish and sustainable.
“Everything that goes into making the bags is used on our farm, from the mesh we use for our baby oyster cages to the hooks and rope,” says Lovett, who has been making handbags off and on for 20 years. “It occurred to me that we grow our oysters in bags and there had to be a way to take a material that can withstand years of New England winters and turn it into an everyday bag.”
After a lot of cutting, bending and splicing materials together, Lovett landed on a design. The Oyster Bag was officially launched in February and is available in three sizes: The Petite, The Market and The Jumbo. The bags are designed to appeal to everyone from active moms on the go to young professionals.
“I wanted to make a bag that I would use every day,” says Lovett. “I tried to keep it as classic as possible.” Depending on the size, The Oyster Bag can function as a handbag or a durable beach bag, perfect for carrying towels, flip flops and even sand toys (they are 100 percent washable and weight-tested up to 45 pounds). The Oyster Bag can be purchased locally at Strand in Duxbury and Wish Gift Co. in Sandwich, and online at theoysterbag.com.