Baggu is an American brand that produces casual bags and accessories using recycled materials at a low price point. It is best known for its reusable shopping bags made from ripstop nylon.

History

CEO Emily Sugihara grew up in Del Mar, California, attended Torrey Pines High School, and studied economics at the University of Michigan.[1] At Michigan, Sugihara and her roommate sold screen-printed T-shirts online. She later studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design in New York City and worked at J.Crew as an assistant designer. In 2007, when she was 24, Sugihara, her mother Joan Hall Sugihara, and family friend Ellen Vanderlaan released the first Baggu bag. They wanted to manufacture the bags in her home town of San Diego, but the price point was too high and would have led to $40 bags. Production commenced in China instead.[2][1][3]

The company launched with an $8 reusable shopping bag, and a focus on sustainability and minimal waste.[2] Sugihara and her mother developed the original design; the basic bag remains mostly unchanged.[4] Initial advertising in Teen Vogue led to a customer base of teenage girls who could afford the bags, found the colors attractive, and were drawn to the product's environmentally friendly focus.[2] Each reusable shopping bag has the capacity to hold the equivalent of three plastic grocery bags. Crafted from 40% recycled ripstop nylon, they are strong enough to carry up to 50 pounds (23 kilograms).[5][6]

The brand has a variety of products (and materials) in addition to the flagship bags, ranging from picnic blankets to bag charms.[7][8] In 2011, the brand released a "sophisticated" collection of bags made from soft Argentine leather.[6] Baggu has collaborated with numerous companies including No. 6 clogs, tie dye artist Shabd Alexander, J.Crew, Pilgrim Surf + Supply, West Elm, Fredericks & Mae, and ALL Knitwear.[9] In 2024, Baggu collaborated with New York label Collina Strada on a collection which included bags, pouches, towels, a pop-up tent, and a picnic blanket.[10]

Reception

Baggu is popular among Gen Z, and inspires "mass adoration ... in New York, and far beyond".[11] On TikTok, a community of self-described "Baggu girlies" post TikToks of the various Baggu bags they have collected.[2] Some commenters argue that Baggu's limited releases and designer collaborations promote overconsumption, and that the collector culture surrounding the reusable bags undermines the brand's sustainability.[12][2]

It was later revealed that Collina Strada used the generative AI tool Midjourney in some of their print designs for the Baggu collection. The use of AI was found by a Reddit user who used a program that can detect if an image has possibly been created with AI.[13] Some fans were disappointed by the lack of transparency regarding the use of AI, calling it "lame", "so disappointing", and "unforgivable". The environmental impact of AI was also an issue for some.[14][15]

References

  1. ^ a b "Tastemaker: Emily Sugihara". San Diego Magazine. February 14, 2014. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Pilat, Kasia (June 17, 2023). "Bagging a New Generation". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  3. ^ Ruffner, Zoe (April 23, 2019). "Master the Art of Layering With This San Francisco Bag Guru". Vogue. Archived from the original on February 24, 2025. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  4. ^ Singer, Jill (April 25, 2011). "Inside Baggu, the Hypercolorful, Reusable Tote for Every Generation". Sight Unseen. Archived from the original on February 3, 2025. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  5. ^ Giordano, Medea (July 28, 2024). "Our Favorite Eco-Friendly Bags Made of Recycled Materials". Sustainable Brands. Archived from the original on February 23, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Lanks, Belinda (October 20, 2011). "Wanted: Baggu Goes Upmarket, With New Leather Bags". Fast Company. Archived from the original on January 5, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
  7. ^ Rivera, Sofia (April 27, 2024). "This Darling Baggu Picnic Blanket Is My Holy Grail for Spring". Apartment Therapy. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  8. ^ Griffiths, Rachael (November 20, 2024). "A Bag Charm for Every Kind of Person". The Strategist. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  9. ^ Beeney, Carola (October 28, 2013). "The Cat's in the BAGGU: Emily Sugihara Talks Sourcing and Collaboration". Sustainable Brands. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  10. ^ Garcia-Furtado, Laia (June 25, 2024). "The New Baggu x Collina Strada Collection Has Everything You Need This Summer". Vogue. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  11. ^ Frye, Hannah (November 13, 2024). "Baggu and Uniqlo Have Nearly Identical Bags. But One Is Better". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 3, 2025. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  12. ^ Cohn, Lauren (September 16, 2023). "The Overconsumption Problem of Collector Culture". L'Officiel USA.
  13. ^ Luna, Elizabeth de (June 26, 2024). "Collina Strada's Baggu collab is under fire for using AI-generated prints". Mashable. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  14. ^ Sato, Mia (June 26, 2024). "An AI-designed horse purse is tearing apart this small but passionate community". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 5, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  15. ^ Mzizi, Yola (July 3, 2024). "Fashion's AI Dilemma Is Getting Worse". The Business of Fashion. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baggu
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