I am Amanda and my partner is Julie... We own New Orleans based QUEORK. Julie's family is Portuguese and maintains a home near Lisbon where we can scout the finest artisans of cork fabric.

With an online beginning it was difficult to get the story of cork fabric across. This is a material that is unknown and on 1st impression may seem novelty or fragile. It was our goal to educate others of the amazing qualities of cork fabric that undeniably rival it to the finest and highly durable fabrics of the world.

Many remember a decade ago when there was the threat of shortage of cork due to a fungus in the trees and a drought that ended in forest fires. In a backlash reaction, the cork industry plummeted to screw bottle caps and synthetic cork wine stoppers. Although there were many efforts to revive the cork stopper industry, it became obvious that the lower expense of synthetics would ensure the industry would never rebound if a new application was not found. In recent years the tables have turned to an incredible abundance of cork and a still crippled Portuguese economy, however there is now a new fabric with a "silver lining" that makes us wish we knew then what we know now about cork as a fabric.

Cork is water resistant, it floats, and so do our bags if you threw them in the water! It is easy to care for with mild soap and water and needs no oils or agents to care for it over the years. Cork is as durable as leather and will last a lifetime with normal wear and tear. No oils from your hands or skin will affect it's appearance - it is impervious to outside moisture of any kind.

We call it a fairy tail fabric and it is. A fantastic alternative to leather, not only because it is vegan and harmless to the tree from which it is harvested but also because it is lightweight and can handle extreme use with no chance of fading from the natural beauty of the cork. It is not rigid, but instead incredibly soft and warm.

This is a case where "Feeling Is Believing" and we hope you will take the chance to see for yourself why there is not a bad word written on behalf of cork fabric for a reason.