Elizabeth Roque of Rok Cork has been developing her designs in cork since discovering the amazing craftmanship in cork in her home country of Portugal, around the area of Sintra. Astounded by the versatility of the material, she determined to embark on a journey to promote Portugal abroad, provide economic growth and bring something beautiful to mainstream fashion by creating extraordinary products from the natural beauty and sustainability of cork. She designs each piece with an eye to what women need and appreciate in a well made handbag. Her mission is to bring classic shapes to life with playful colours and textures season after season, never compromising on quality or functionality. Taking instruction from her father, a shoemaker since the age of 12, she ensures that materials are of the highest quality available in the market, and ethically sourced and manufactured in line with social responsibility, creating honest and sustainable employment opportunities for local artisans. She applies some of her profits to charities such as WWF and centres for battered women and children’s hospitals.