There’s no lack of bags on the market. Whatever you think of, you can find, or at least that’s what we believe.
However, there are always concerns about the materials used in the bags and their effects on animals and the environment. When you ask these questions, it becomes harder to find what you want, especially if you’re looking for cruelty-free items that don’t hurt our fellow furry friends in any way.
Yet, with the presence of brands that care about their workers’ health, animal welfare, and the planet’s atmosphere on the market, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. One of these brands that deserve recognition for their fantastic work is Angela Roi, a vegan brand that makes high-quality bags with full transparency.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the brand and the best products it offers, keep on reading.
Who Is Angela Roi?
Angela Roi is an ethical vegan high-fashion brand. It’s by no means a company with a long history. It was founded in 2013 by the married couple/entrepreneurs Angela and Roi Lee, who share a passion for fashion, sustainability, and loving animals and people.
The New York-based brand specializes in making luxury bags with timeless designs, elegant colors, sturdy constructions, and practical varieties at reasonable prices. Angela Roi wants to expand its audience beyond the vegans, attracting non-vegans, as well, with its quality handbags.
The brand’s ethics aren’t just about sparing animals the harm done by the non-vegan fashion industry; it’s about the people, too. It prides itself on having full transparency about who crafts its products and where.
The fact that the products are made in boutique factories means that it’s easier to keep a close eye on the whole process, as the number of workers is less than 10 in each factory.
Fair treatment and pay of these hard-working, skilled factory workers is a priority to Angela Roi. Gone are the days of sweatshops and child labor of fast fashion.
To sum up, Angela Roi is a fashion brand where no sacrifices are made. It’s classy, vegan, fair, and reasonably priced.
At a Glance
- Hamilton Crossbody – Most Popular
- Cher Tote – Best Tote
- Eloise Satchel – Most Attractive
- Hamilton Satchel Micro – Best Vintage Look
- Rebel in Disguise Eco Bag – Most Eco-friendly
The 5 Best Angela Roi Products in 2021
Let’s delve into the top choices in Angela Roi, the details of each one, and what makes them stand out from their counterparts.
1. Hamilton Crossbody – Most Popular
It comes as no surprise that Angela Roi’s most popular product is a crossbody bag. The Hamilton Crossbody bag has the practicality that everyone looks for in this category, plus high-quality materials and a well-thought-out design.
The Hamilton Crossbody bag doesn’t skimp out on materials. It’s made of EPUL and Exquisite PU Leather. While the name might sound a bit pretentious at first, it makes perfect sense when you touch it. The micro-pebbled leather has the exact texture and appearance of the real thing without causing harm to animals or workers making it.
The vegan leather isn’t just on the outside. The inside is lined with vegan suede, which ties the whole bag together. Also, the satin gold hardware will show everyone that you’re wearing something bougie.
> Read more: Best vegan crossbody bags.
Angela Roi thought of making a hands-free bag that’s actually functional. It has three open pockets and two inner slip pockets, all of which are covered by a front flap closure. The rectangular design with accordion-style pockets makes the bag the most space-efficient one.
Not to mention the adjustable strap, which is a nice touch that makes the bag look good and feel comfortable.
Best Features
- Adjustable strap
- Satin gold hardware
- Vegan suede lining
- EPUL material
- Iconic rectangular design
- Inner slip pockets
- Space-efficient
2. Cher Tote – Best Tote
Regardless of what anybody says, tote bags are a must-have. They’re stylish, versatile, adaptable, durable, spacious enough to carry a laptop or baby essentials, and more. So, Angela Roi had to put its own twist on it and came up with the Cher Tote bag.
Named after Clueless’ Cher, the timeless bag is made of EPUL. So, it has that luxurious texture and flexibility that your non-vegan friends will definitely mistake for animal leather. The bag sports an EPUL interior, as well. This consistency in the material makes the bag rival the most high-end bags on the market.
The Cher Tote, which is spacious enough to go to work or go shopping with, is designed to be the perfect companion for busy modern women. The shoulder straps are sturdy enough to handle your tiring workdays like a champ.
> Read more: Best vegan tote bags.
Also, the magnetic button closure at the top is convenient. Say goodbye to spending half an hour looking for your keys as the inner center zip compartment acts as a smart separator of the bag’s inner compartments while keeping your valuables safe and visible.
For extra convenience, you can separately purchase the webbing strap to wear your tote bag across your body for a hands-free experience.
Finally, the four gold studs at the bottom of the bag complete the whole elegant yet modern look.
Best Features
- EPUL material and interior
- Inner center zip compartment
- Four gold studs
- Spacious
- Magnetic button closure
- Sturdy shoulder straps
- Optional webbing strap
3. Eloise Satchel – Most Attractive
Sometimes, we want a bag that reflects our own ideals and morals but still looks like something so pretty that Princess Diana could have worn it. If you’re looking for a bag that is so attractive, you’ll love the Eloise Satchel bag from Angela Roi.
Like every signature Angela Roi piece, this chic bag is made of EPUL, so expect an insanely realistic material that has no animal traces in it. Since it’s not real animal leather, it won’t be affected by the elements the way the real thing does.
The interior is also fully lined with vegan suede, which solidifies the bag as a luxury item, not another low-quality plastic bag from a fast-fashion brand. Thanks to the antique gold hardware, the satchel looks breathtakingly gorgeous.
However, this satchel isn’t just about looking cute. It has a top handle that’s detachable if you want to carry the bag like a clutch. It also has an adjustable and detachable long strap that enables you to wear it like a crossbody bag, so practicality is guaranteed.
In addition, it has a zipper compartment and a phone compartment, and it keeps them all under a front flap enclosure. We love the magnetic button closure because it looks nice and keeps your items safe. The large flat bottom is one of the most significant advantages of having this satchel because it keeps everything upright.
Best Features
- Antique gold hardware
- Detachable top handle and strap
- Magnetic button closure
- Vegan suede lining
- Zipper and phone compartments
- EPUL material
- Large flat bottom
4. Hamilton Satchel Micro – Best Vintage Look
One of the best things about Angela Roi is how it offers different size variations of its bags to cater to the different tastes of its customers. They’re trendy bags, but some of them are made to look like they belong in the 60s, such as the Hamilton Satchel Micro bag.
Let’s start with what matters the most to vegans: material. Like all iconic Angela Roi bags, it’s made with the AR signature vegan leather, EPUL. It doesn’t stop there, as the whole bag is lined with vegan suede on the inside.
We can’t talk about the bag’s construction without mentioning the gunmetal silver hardware. It looks edgy, luxurious, and vintage, all in one. Speaking of vintage, the bag’s trapezoid shape brings us back to vintage fashion, and it looks pretty cute and compact while doing so.
Cute isn’t everything that this micro bag has to offer, though. This vintage-looking modern bag has an incredibly sturdy shoulder strap. Its inner compartment has a small inner and a large external slip pocket for extra convenience. These divisions are kept safe, thanks to the front flap enclosure and magnetic button closure.
Best Features
- Gunmetal silver hardware
- Sturdy shoulder strap
- Magnetic button closure
- Cute trapezoid shape
- Inner and external slip pockets
- EPUL material
- Vegan suede lining
5. Rebel in Disguise Eco Bag – Most Eco-friendly
While it’s great to be a vegan shopper, we should bear in mind that some animal-friendly items aren’t so eco-friendly. If that’s something that doesn’t sit right with you, join the eco-friendly, vegan movement by getting the Rebel in Disguise Eco Bag.
Unlike other bags on the list, this one is not made of vegan leather. Instead, it’s made of 100% organic hemp. The benefits of organic hemp, especially in a tote bag, are so many that we probably won’t be able to list all of them.
Organic hemp is one of the most sustainable plants on the planet. Unlike most plants that need fertilizers and pesticides to grow, hemp needs none of that. In fact, it reduces pests by itself. It also grows on little water and doesn’t take much space.
Since it grows fast, its yield is pretty high, and it helps prevent deforestation. It also enriches the soil it grows in and fights its erosion. So, as a plant, hemp does pretty well.
But what good does it do as a fabric in a bag? It’s incredibly sturdy. It also resists UV rays, which is more than what animal leather can say. Plus, hemp tote bags are washable and reusable, so you can use them to carry all kinds of stuff without babying them.
The best thing about hemp tote bags like this one is that they can be folded and stored in very small spaces. Yet, this bag is spacious enough to carry a 15-inch laptop.
Best Features
- 100% organic hemp material
- Fits 15-inch laptop
- Space-saving
- Washable
How to Choose an Angela Roi Bag
Whether it’s your first time buying something from this ethical, vegan brand or your tenth one, here are a few aspects to consider before making a purchase.
Material
Material is a big thing for most people, but especially vegans. Making sure that your fashion items are free from animal-based products is essential. With Angela Roi, you don’t have to worry about any hidden non-vegan materials; it’s all cruelty-free.
EPUL
Angela Roi replaces animal leather with Exquisite PU Leather, also known as EPUL. It’s basically PU leather that the brand modified to improve its quality, texture, and longevity. You can recognize it by its “pebble” texture. It definitely stands out among other synthetic leathers. The brand is also known for lining its bags with either EPUL or vegan suede.
Canvas
Sometimes, Angela Roi replaces animal leather with something else entirely. Organic hemp is their most eco-friendly alternative. It’s famous for growing on little water, without any fertilizers or additives. Plus, hemp doesn’t need pesticides, as it reduces pests naturally.
Since it grows fast and takes small space, it has a high yield and reduces deforestation. Besides, unlike most plants that strip the soil of its nutrients, it enriches the soil it grows in. Overall, hemp is the best for the environment.
> Read more: Hemp vs. cotton, which is better for the environment?
Hemp took the fashion industry by storm with how durable it is, which comes as no surprise since it’s a hardy plant. Also, hemp is usually used in tote bags so that you can wash and reuse them for a long time, saving you money and protecting animals and the environment, as well.
Style
Before you buy any bag, vegan or not, you need to know what type of bag you need. Your personal, or maybe professional, needs are what will decide which bag to buy.
Some women hate purses and shoulder bags because they feel like they always have to actively “hold” them. They may also feel that shoulder bags hurt them after a while of wearing them. Enter crossbody bags, the perfect choice for women who want to live their lives with their hands unoccupied.
If you’re a frequent shopper who hates plastic bags because they tear up easily and harm the environment, you should consider a tote bag. Angela Roi offers vegan leather and canvas tote bags in varying sizes, so the options are pretty versatile. These tote bags also work for women who love to carry a lot of stuff every time they go out.
However, if you want really feminine purses, you can find exactly what you want in shoulder bags and satchels. Angela Roi offers some attractive choices in handbags that cater to every taste.
Color
You may think that the color of your bag doesn’t matter much, then you buy whatever bag you find and experience instant regret. With Angela Roi, you won’t have to worry about that.
This luxury brand offers its products in the classiest colors that will blend with your outfits gracefully. They come in black, brown, ash brown, light mud gray, light gray, ash rose, blue, gray, purple, orange, apricot, coral pink, nude pink, olive, and navy.
You can style these colors with a matching monochromatic outfit, which is pretty trendy nowadays, or do the opposite by using the colors to contrast your own.
Also, try to match the bag’s hardware to your accessories. Satin gold hardware will bring up your own gold accessories, while gunmetal silver will look the best with a matching bracelet. It’s time to embrace your inner Jacqueline Kennedy.
FAQs
Where Are Angela Roi Bags Made?
Angela Roi bags are made in ethical boutique factories in Seoul, South Korea, by talented craftsmen. The process of making these designer bags takes months of hard work and planning to come up with the highest quality with the right materials.
Is Vegan Leather Expensive?
It depends on its kind. The most common vegan leather is PVC. It’s cheap and available everywhere, but it doesn’t last and has a harmful impact on the environment. However, there are more expensive and higher quality options, such as EPUL and plant-based leather.
What Designer Handbags Are Vegan?
Designer handbag brands that have forgone animal leather in favor of vegan alternatives include Angela Roi, Stella McCartney, Doshi FCSA, Pixie Mood, Matt & Nat, Jill Milan, Denise Roobol, Frida Rome, and so much more.
Final Thoughts
We hope that our article on Angela Roi has been helpful and informative. It’s quite refreshing to find a brand that lives up to our standards of style, veganism, and fair treatment of workers, without any tricks or shortcuts. Here is a recap of our favorite bags from this brand.
The Hamilton Crossbody bag is iconic. Its EPUL material and vegan suede lining ensure that it looks and feels like the luxury bag it is. The satin gold hardware is glorious. We love its rectangular frame and inner slip pockets because they use its space to the fullest. Plus, the adjustable strap makes it the most comfortable and convenient to carry.
Working women, mothers, and regular shoppers who need a bag that’s designed to handle a lot should consider the Cher Tote bag. It’s spacious and even has an inner center zip compartment to help divide your items. The gold studs at the bottom are classy, and the shoulder strap is tough enough to handle your shopping sprees.
If you want an attractive, cute, elegant, and feminine bag, we highly recommend the Eloise Satchel bag. Like our favorite choice, it’s made of EPUL and lined with vegan suede. Its zipper and phone compartments are pretty convenient. It comes with a long strap so that you can wear it as a crossbody. And honestly, we can’t swoon over the antique gold hardware enough.
