Mariana Laserna merged her passion for fashion, animals and the planet by creating Baula in 2019. From a young age, animals have played a significant role in her life, which led her to visited and worked as a volunteer in different conservation projects helping endangered species. Mariana then landed in Milan to study Fashion Management in SDA Bocconi school of management where she created a brand that unites her passions – a sustainable vegan bag company inspired by endangered animals.

In the pursuit of implementing a vegan and sustainable alternative to leather, constant innovative use of sustainable processes and materials is a must. Leather alternatives are currently sourced from Italy and Philippines, where they are produced from apple waste and pineapple leaves. Fabrics and linings are produced in Colombia; made from recycled plastic bottles and cotton leftovers from the fashion industry. Prints are ecological as they involve 0% use of water and labels are 100% sugarcane-based fabrics with no chemicals or bleach.

Baula wants to inspire not only those who love nature, but also others to fall in love with our planet, animals, and the environment. Baula seeks to turn fashion around and make it sustainable, cruelty-free, and with strong purpose.

THE POWER OF NAMING

Baula in spanish is the name of a turtle, also known as the leatherback turtle, which is the biggest turtle alive. Its shell looks like leather but it’s made of skin and oily flesh, and is our main source of inspiration. Leatherbacks are just like our bags that look as if they were made of leather but they are not.  We strongly believe that everything is not what it seems.

#baulaeinwis