company: Relan's philosophy and hip attitude may sound similar to another Minneapolis-based company, the Aveda corporation. Shifting from hair care to handbags, several former Aveda employees, who joined together after Estée Lauder acquired Aveda, are the creative forces behind Relan™.

Reintroduced under new owners Sharon and Marlan Kulhmann, Relan bags demonstrate a heightened sense of fashion, playfulness, and eco-savvy. The company works with outdoor advertising companies to take possession of retired billboards and fashion them into hip handbags, carrying cases, and totes.
Innovative in both concept and design, each one-of-a-kind Relan bag is built to last. The billboards themselves are printed on waterproof, super-strong vinyl meant to endure the wear and tear of harsh weather. Coupled in many instances and styles with handles and bases derived from car tires, Relan is a leader in the movement toward reuse and sustainability.

products: each bag by Relan™ is one-of-a-kind, constructed out of a piece of billboard about the size of a tennis court. The billboard's graphic pattern and colours are preserved in always interesting and often attention-arresting ways, then stitched together to create an innovative, functional bag that demands and deserves daily use.

sustainability features: recycling retired billboards, that would otherwise end up in landfills, the company strongly contributes to reducing their environmental impact. Each 48 x 14-foot billboard is made from a durable, vinyl-laminated nylon fabric designed to withstand eight years of outdoor wear. It is both water and tear-resistant. For fabrication Relan uses only recycled billboard vinyl and tire rubber.