FALL/WINTER 2014 • FLOURISH 15
C
ork is one of nature's miracles.
Soft, durable, mold-resistant
and fireproof, it comes from the
bark of the cork oak tree and is
one of the earth's most sustainable mate-
rials. It's well known for its use in wine
corks and bulletin boards, but its versatility
allows much more, and it shows up in sur-
prising places, from trendy wedge heels in
fashionable footwear to protective coating
for the Space Shuttle's fuel tank. Portugal,
the source of more than half the world's
supply, even released a postage stamp
made from paper-thin cork in 2007.
Nancy Lang of Corx, a distributor of
cork accessories in Sonoma, discovered
the wonders of cork when she and her
business partner Brandon Chase visited
Portugal. They had a business producing
wooden products, such as spice racks, and
had started moving into more sustainable
products by using bamboo, but cork was
a revelation. "It opened up a whole new
world of ideas for us," she says. The experi-
ence led to a new business that sells cork
items, such as jewelry, bags and picture
frames made in Portugal, to winery gift
shops and on the Corx website. "People are
enchanted," says Lang.
Also at the head of the fashion trend is
Bex Bishop, who learned about the desir-
able properties of cork while she was doing
research for her winery, BX of Napa. She
launched Cork Couture at the Sundance
Film Festival in 2013, and her online store
by judith m. wilson
A sampling of cork products
designed by Bex Bishop for BX Wines.
Photos by Stuart Lirette.
