The History
2010
The Calling
I experienced a desire to have an object next to me that represented who I truly am. A bag was the most powerful object through which I could express my soul. I always felt drawn to bags, dowry chests, and treasure chests. They were repositories of magical qualities—mystical objects holding special power for the heroine, sacred links between generations, guardians of treasures. I wanted a handbag that would represent excellence on all levels and capture my ideal world: royal, structured, refined, graceful, timeless, one of a kind. My Treasure Box. Since I couldn’t find the bag of my dreams anywhere, I decided to create it myself.
2011
Following my Soul
How would I create it? I had no idea what this bag would look like. But I was crystal clear what it would feel like. I was in a place of zero — I had no design education, no contacts, no expertise in any aspect of manufacturing. Since I had nothing that is considered necessary to create this bag, I decided to manifest it my way, making my soul the captain of this project. I wanted to co-create with the Divine, to follow the dances of my soul in every decision. I called this project BU, meaning Be You. It stands for staying aligned with the Higher Self and following my unique path.
2012
The Concept
In March 2012, after arriving in Florence, Italy, I received a clear vision of the design. The vision didn’t come from me; something else moved it through me. I felt like being an instrument of the Divine. My vision was a collection of handbags in different shapes: rectangular, bucket, square, round and oval but they all shared the same essence. They were an extension of who I really am. Everything I’d ever treasured has come together in one concept, summarising my entire life. My essence had found its material expression.
2012 — 2015
Developing the Bag
Impossibles
To produce my concept I went to the most renowned factories across Italy. But everywhere I had a similar experience — every element of my creation appeared impossible to be produced in the way I wanted. Especially the round bag. So I chose it to be the focus of the development. Since my concept embodied the union of living beauty and precision, nothing in the past or present could serve as a potential prototype for this bag. The entire production had to be invented from scratch. Every component had to be developed individually. After two years of experiments, I learned that a renowned master's name and excellent skills alone were not enough to invent the Buwood bag. There had to be something else. There was a missing ingredient.
Finding the Dream Factory
The missing ingredient was my alignment with my soul. Once I reconnected with my deepest truth in January 2014, I was able to attract my ideal factory, a special atelie of a legendary fashion house, located in Milan. The factory was another dimension of life — the real fairy-tale of highest creativity. They have one rare quality — the freedom of their spirit to think, to see, to experiment in new ways. In the end, all the unique technical challenges of Buwood attracted an unprecedented collaboration among the top masters in Italy. Together they put their decades of experience and their love into the life of this creation.
Creating Bumi in Leather
Overall, it has taken 30 months and more than 30 prototypes to create the bag of my dreams in leather. To bring this object to the pinnacle of its beauty, we removed all that was unnecessary, so the essence could speak for itself.
Creating Bumi in Walnut
Our walnut models represent the signature of Buwood. They had their particular technical challenges and required their own timing for the development.
2013 — 2019
Life of the Bag
Launch
The launch of Buwood bags was during Milan Fashion Week in September 2013. This event was exclusively organised for select press.
Press
Since the first day, the Buwood bag has been received with genuine interest, love and support from the most renowned press all over the world.
Distribution
Buwood had been represented in select premium department & concept stores. This opened the possibility to purchase the handbag in different countries such as the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, Hong-Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Buwood Owners
Buwood owners are strong personalities with beautiful souls. They radiate love, and are passionate about beauty in all areas of their life.
2021
Returning to the Essence
From the beginning, my communication of Buwood did not reflect its soul. I was following the conventions of the fashion industry, not fully realising that the Buwood bag has its own unique path. It is more than a fashion object. It is a co-creation with the Divine — an object of art and love. This is a timeless creation that can be appreciated beyond seasons, trends, and its beautiful form. I’ve returned to its essence and have chosen to honour this bag for its true value and meaning.