Pictured left:  Eco-friendly designer Mauro Bianucci and his Carga bag. 

Below: key excerpts from an article on his work in today's WWD Green supplement.

Being socially responsible was equally important to the designer. "After Argentina's economic crisis, there were many workshops with skilled craftsmen that had no work," he said. Carga, which is now carried by eight U.S. retailers, including Takashimaya in New York, and the Edition stores in Japan, has been able to help sustain a family-run workshop in Buenos Aires that might have otherwise shut down.

"I don't believe in thinking about 'green' as an added value," said Bianucci, who is currently working on two all-leather Carga designs. "A few years back, everybody was talking about ergonomics in design. But now, there's no need to talk about an 'ergonomic chair,' because it's a given. It would be great if in a few years we didn't have to talk about 'green,' because it would be the default."