In the spirit of Marcel Duchamp -- who turned a urinal into one of the twentieth century's most famous works of art simply by signing his name on it -- Seattle's Alchemy Goods is turning junk into bling.

Alchemy, as all fashionistas who paid attention in Western Civ know, was the Middle Ages' primary fascination: the quest to turn something worthless (lead) into something precious (gold).

Alchemy Goods designer Eli Reich takes this basic theme and runs with it. He scavenges the bike shops and junkyards of the Pacific Northwest and produces some very cool bags. From the bike shops, he gets old inner tubes and builds tough, waterproof sacks that are guaranteed for life. From the junkyards, he gets old seatbelts that become the straps for his bags.

The best part? He keeps all the writing, patches, stains and logos that were orginially on the tubes and seatbelts. That way, you know you've got a one-of-a-kind.

It's $148 for a messenger bag, by the way. Can medieval alchemists compete with that?