Issue Date: September 17, 2006

Cork goes high fashion

Fashion says "cheers" to cork, a natural substance the industry has virtually ignored since the '70s. "It's part of the organic trend, along with wood and bamboo," says Ceil McDermott, a J.C. Penney general merchandise manager for footwear and women's accessories. "When white is hot, we see cork. But it's great anytime. It's lightweight and goes with everything.''

The difference between yesterday's bulletin boards and wine stoppers and today's hip cork? Although all are harvested from the outer bark of evergreen trees in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and North Africa, new technology means the earthy material now is pliable, durable and paper-thin.

Rather than keep cork bottled up, designers are using it for everything from DDCLab's pricey suede-soft jackets to Sugar's more reasonable Nobo sandals. In between, there's Studio 1a.m.'s cork cuff, Stuart Weitzman's supple bark-brown satchel and Erickson Beamon's gold-plated and teak chain bracelet with cork-wrapped charms. Lauren Merkin's gold-leaf-flecked clutches start at $165 vs. up to $395 for the woven leather version. "Unlike exotic leathers, cork does not break the bank,'' says Maureen Doron, who is the owner of Skirt in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

It looks like there's no corking this stylish trend.

-- Michele Meyer