about

She arrived in New York on a bright summer morning with just a backpack and big hopes. The city welcomed her with open arms, as it had the millions who came before her. But Salvy’s small town roots did little to prepare her for the shock of big city life.

The New York context baffled her at first. There was so much to see and do—even smell—that sometimes young Salvy felt overwhelmed. But bit by bit, her attitude began to change. As she began to understand that what she once dubbed “sensory overload” was really just an abundance of possibilities, “I kind of like New York” gave way to an enthusiastic “I LOVE NEW YORK”.

But some old habits remained. She still couldn’t bear to waste anything or throw away something that might have another incarnation. Like those sturdy, eye catching metro cards that took her everywhere. Their vibrant blue and orange graphic made them far too appealing to just toss. So the collection piled up, and Salvy got to thinking. . .

The first 40 cards became the original Carry-All, and Salvy’s own everyday bag. She carried it everywhere, and the response—from enthusiastic cashiers, fellow pedestrians and security guards alike—was always the same: Where did you get that bag? One night, as Salvy headed home on the F train, a group of young freestylers even came up with an impromptu MetroCard bag inspired rap : . . .shorty's got the cards in her bag that is me-tro. . .

Emboldened by this daily encouragement from the city itself, Salvy decided to turn a small-town girl’s dream into a New York city-sized reality. Using fabric from Tribeca, hardware from the Flatiron district, zippers from Williamsburg, and (of course) authentic MetroCards directly from the MTA, Salvy presents the MetroCard Bags, all hand sewn in NYC’s fashion district on the same machines that make NYPD gear.

Metro Card Bags are for anyone who recognizes the sound of that gentle, all day rumbling under foot. For anyone who holds the key to those stainless turnstiles, or realizes the story behind each metro card is as unique as the New Yorker who swiped it. For those who care to ponder the tiny interactions in which we all take part.

Each bag represents a piece of these lives and these moments: Of the randomness that brings us together and leads us away. More than just a bag, Salvy’s MetroCard Bags are a representation of a sliver of a day, week, or month in New York City, frozen in time and passed along to you.