Asche reinvents luxe cannabis carryalls

Asche's rose gold 2018 collection targets luxe female shoppers. | Photo courtesy of Asche Industries
Asche’s rose gold 2018 collection targets luxe female shoppers. | Photo courtesy of Asche Industries

You don’t have to be a veteran of the catwalk to recognize when something is fashionable or when it isn’t, but connections were key in helping former model Molly Kavanagh create the loveliest cannabis stash bags on the market today.

Her high-end accessories line, Asche, based in New York, features bags and jewelry that are as chic as anything put out by Louis Vuitton, Coach or Prada. Her leathers, in fact, are the same Saffiano calf leather developed and patented by Prada, and her wares far outshine the rugged, durable and sadly basic stash bags by other brands.

On Feb. 5, Asche takes luxury a step further, introducing an ultra-feminine collection featuring a zipper pouch, lighter case and two necklaces, one with a joint clip, another with a locket mill, made in a polished hue of rose gold.

Hallelujah.

“Women would reach out to me in social media and through the website wanting that more feminine kind of gold color,” Kavanagh said. “And with the women’s movement and being strong and yet still being feminine, it just kind of made sense to get it together right now. It was timing, I guess.”

Molly Kavanagh, Asche founder
Molly Kavanagh, Asche founder

Asche’s best-selling product is the leather pouchette, available in several colors and three sizes, small (5 inches by 2 ½ inches), medium (6 inches by 4 inches) or large (7 inches by 4 ½ inches) in cream or navy. Prices start at $135. (In a collaboration with Blunted Objects, Asche offers a “dime bag” with gold cannabis leaf hardware for $178.) They all come with a smaller, removable, scent-proof zipper pocket — for your herbals.

The idea for the company came to Kavanagh in late 2013 as she was sitting at a holiday party, smoking joints with friends. Frustrated by the lack of quality stash bags on the market, and tired of carrying plastic baggies that didn’t hide the smell of cannabis, she decided in 2014 to create her own products to fill the void, picking the brains of her friends in the industry and creating samples with New York City’s garment industry at her fingertips.

Holiday countdown is on ✨ #giftsforher #giftguide

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The medium and large “scent-controlled” cannabis clutch are her best-sellers, roomy enough to fit a lipstick, credit card, rolling papers and flower or a vape pen “and have everything when you leave the house,” Kavanagh said.

Available at www.AscheIndustries.com and at the Standard Hotel, 40 Island Ave. Miami Beach, Fla.

SF Chronicle & Greenstate.com reporter keeps an eye on high style, from cannabis to luxe living & fashion. Read all about it!