Partners

Apart from the three factories we work with, there are several other partners involved in the production of our products.

All our leather items come with the same size organic cotton dust bags. These dust bags protect your O My Bag, but they also have a huge social impact; they are promoting women empowerment and education.

Abdullah, a former employee of EMA, wanted to provide work to a small group of women from Bhatpao – a village outside of Kolkata, India. Women from Bhatpao marry very young, usually around the age of 12-14 years. When growing older, many of these women are looking for more independence – being less reliant on their husbands. Abdullah saw that these women in his village were eager to find work, so he created a sewing facility next to his own house with enough space for a group of 14-16 ladies who work about 4 to 5 hours a day. Their children play around the facility so the women can keep a close eye on them. The ladies can become more independent and take care of their children at the same time.

O My Bag helps these power ladies with training on sewing skills, self-care, home economics, and women’s rights.

In 2022, we have added woven leather to our collection. We learned about a fantastic leather weaving project from Nassir, one of the employees at our bagmaker Springfield. Nassir and his wife Monira accepted weaving work from local factories and then distributed it to the housewives in their village Bilpar, a suburbia of Kolkata. The factories provide the group of 40 women with two sheets of leather, one with laser-cut patterns and another with laser-cut sheets that the women cut from both ends. The women then knit both sheets together by hand, following the pattern, and eventually, a sheet is formed. This sheet is sent back the factory for stitching as per bag designs. The women work from their homes with minimal investment, which allows them to earn a sustainable income while still fulfilling their responsibilities, such as taking care of their children.

Joyya makes the organic cotton tote bags we use for events. Joyya is an organization that provides alternative employment opportunities for in women at-risk groups. At Joyya they find hope for a brighter future and the means to make it a reality.

At present, 250 ladies receive trainings relevant for their new job and are empowered with life-skills needed to find their way and make the most out of their freedom.

The salary is twice as much as one would receive for an equivalent job and all employees benefit from health insurance and a pension plan. Associated with Joyya is the Joyya Trust, which provides literacy classes, child care, budgeting and debt management services.

In 2018, O My Bag supported The Cup, a café belonging to Joyya. Its purpose is to be a safe space for women so they can build healthy relationships, grow a supportive community and confidence in a brighter future. At the same time, it's a place from which Joyya can keep an eye on the safety of the women working there. For example, if a regular visitor of the café suddenly is not seen anymore, they can go check on her.

After extensive research, O My Bag partnered with Mabel Synthetic in 2021, not only because they were able to create a beautiful vegan material - Uppeal™, but because we share the same sustainability values.

Based in Florence, Italy, Mabel Synthetic have been producing waste-based materials since 2010. Their focus is on ecological innovation and their goal is to decrease the footprint we leave on the planet. Mabel and their research and development team aims to become as close as possible to being 100% ‘circular’.

Traditional alternatives to leather are made from 100% fossil derivatives and Mabel Synthetic are able to produce Uppeal™ from 40% natural materials. Not only does this decrease the production of synthetic materials, Mabel Synthetic are able to repurpose 30,000 tons of apple waste per year, substantially decreasing the need for waste management facilities.

Mabel Synthetic are currently working to find new bio based polymers in an attempt to substitute all PU and we’re proud to partner with them on this journey.

In 2024, after extensive testing and experimenting behind the scenes, we added MIRUM® to our collection. The first plant-based leather alternative made from 100% natural materials. While plenty of vegan leather alternatives are on the market, many of these options still rely on petroleum-based materials (PU) and processes with significant environmental impacts. Mirum®, on the other hand, is made from renewable resources. It is made of responsibly sourced natural rubber, plant-based oil, natural pigments, and minerals.

​​MIRUM® mimics traditional leather’s look and feel while being 10 times more eco-friendly than other vegan alternatives. It also offers enhanced durability and flexibility, reinforced with GOTS-certified cotton canvas.