Bella Umbrella: Vintage and Refurbished Brollies
While we're excited to see what sorts of Cradle to Cradle models our Umbrella Inside Out entrants come up with, it's fun to point out some other relatively eco-friendly umbrella innovations. Chances are, if you've seen a vintage brolly in a film, magazine layout, or Broadway show, it came from Jodell Egbert's Seattle shop, Bella Umbrella. Her impressive selection of vintage finds can be purchased or rented, for fun or for weddings. In fact, it was her decision to hand out umbrellas at her own wedding, rather than rent a tent, that swept her into the "umbrella world."
With umbrellas on the brain post-wedding, Jodell began collecting in 1999 on her Parisian honeymoon. Upon return to Seattle, her vintage clothes shopping habit easily translated to umbrella seeking, and she found lots. Today her collection numbers around 800.
Eventually, she turned the interest into a business, and now offers the Antica line consisting of antiques from 1890s - 1910s that she has refurbished and recovered, vintage pieces mostly from the '40s - 60s, as well as her Signature Bella line of 1940s pagoda-style waterproof parasols (arguably sustainable in that they're high quality, but not in their use of acrylic) with interchangeable handles. It makes sense that she would have developed the pagoda, since it's the most popular of the Vintage Bella range of rentals.
"I'm the only company in the world who rents vintage umbrellas. I've never seen a collection as extensive as mine," she says.
One can imagine that they didn't all arrive in perfect shape. The repair work on damaged vintage gems is done in-house. Jodell also fixes customers' umbrellas on request. "We do all kinds of repair. Typically people want fabric to be fixed, or the ribs fixed because they snap, and the tips." It's amazing to think of the turn-of-the-century and post-war umbrellas lasting long enough to refurbish, when most of us are lucky if one stays in our possession for more than a few years.
Jodell's original plan was to start boutique umbrella making company, but since all manufacturing moved to China by the 1970s, she found it impossible to find equipment. Assistance came from Jeffrey Shertz, who descended from a family of quality umbrella makers. He helped her find a factory in China that produced high quality frames and treated workers well.
Approaching umbrellas as accessories and celebrated collectors items likely makes happy customers less inclined to leave them in the back of a cab. With luck, an emphasis on quality and commitment to repair can marry with sustainability and affordability in new manufacturing.
Check out Jodell's creations! :: Bella Umbrella