Behind The Brand: BAGO
Founded on the idea of bridging different cultures through the creation of unique accessories that are made with natural materials and indigenous crafts, Bago is a fashion accessories label that supports craftmanship and artisans in Philiphines, Mexico, Brazil and Turkey. Enjoy our chat with founder Ipek Kocatepe Dumani and discover more about what's behind the brand!
What inspired you to launch Bago? Can you tell us more about your background?
Bago is founded on the idea of bridging different cultures through the creation of accessories that are made with a unique mix of exotic natural materials and indigenous crafts, with each bag telling the stories of different cultures.
After completing a Textile Development and Marketing degree at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, I interned at Diane Von Furstenberg before moving to Istanbul where I worked at major fashion brands like Monsoon Accessorize, Ralph Lauren and Beymen. My five year experience in fashion combined with the love and curiosity for handcrafts lead me to create this exciting lifestyle brand
Which principles do you always keep in mind when designing a bag?
Being sustainable and using 100% natural materials. While designing Bago, our most decisive aim was to offer natural products in the most appropriate and usable way for our daily lives
What sustainability means to you and how do you translate it into you brand?
Sustainability is an inbuilt mindset, culture and lifestyle. For us, it is the heart of the company. Our bags are made with 100% natural materials such as palm leaf, banana leaf, grass, pineapple leaf and mother of pearl. Only organic and non-chemical dyes are used in the coloring. Since our products are completely handmade, our machine usage and energy consumption are scarcely any. Bago aims to reflect all the beauties of nature into fashion without devastating nature
How do you define style?
Personalization with small details instead of focusing on big pieces. That created our style actually
What's your dream travel destination?
I wish to visit Mexico and Seychelles
What're your travel essentials?
My camera and my Bago bags