Uashmama x Baby Barangay

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A few weeks ago, Patty messaged our Baby Barangay group and shared a new brand that made us all swoon. Introducing Uashmama: an accessory company that specializes in creating washable paper bags and homeware. I know that washable paper sounds really odd, but the material is really beautiful and quite amazing. We’ve all touched them with our own hands and they honestly feel like leather.

The Uashmama’s founders stumbled upon these special paper products while travelling through Tuscany, Italy in 2011. Since then, they have worked closely with the family making this thick, leather-like paper to create styles that can be loved by people around the world. Here is Uashmama’s description of their products:

“Our paper bags, braces, and aprons are all sewn in a cottage in Tuscany, so we are proud to call ourselves a cottage industry. The more sophisticated designs our totes and handbags are produced in Florence by manufacturers who also produce for the fashion elite.
UASHMAMA washable paper looks and feels like leather but washes with ease. Our bags are soft yet resilient, where the manufacturing process is similar to leather the paper is stretched and tanned making it durable to withstand washing and daily use.
UASHMAMA washable paper is made using a virgin fibre through cultivation and not deforestation. Paper that washes like fabric holding it’s form so it can be used over and over again promoting sustainability perfect for catering and homewares.”

The Baby Barangay fell in love with the brand so much that we collaborated with their distributors in the Philippines to do a photoshoot showcasing the products that really called out to us.

Here are the classic paper bags which come in a variety of sizes and colors. Look at all the different ways you can use them.

Having just moved into our new place, I love being able to use these bags to add a bit texture to our houseplants.

Nicole prefers to use her bag to organize the toys of her gorgeous boys.

Kelly uses her her to make a fruit basket so she can be healthy on-the-go.

Bianca is super organised and uses her bag to keep her essentials in one place.

Patty has a well-known sweet tooth, so it’s important for her to put them in a cute little container.

Fun Facts about Uashmama:

Uashmama was born in 2011
It is a family business composed of the parents and four sisters (hence the company name “Le Sorelle”)
The company employs and collaborates with artisans from its local community of Montecatini in Tuscany
Marco Marconi, the father, is the one who discovered and developed washable paper
Washable paper is made of virgin cellulose fiber. It undergoes a treatment that makes it durable and resistant. The result is a unique material that looks and feels like leather but is much lighter, and also washes and folds easily.
They started out by producing bread bags. Upon seeing the versality of the material and the positive market feedback, they’ve grown the product range to include home, table and fashion. To this day, the iconic paper bag remains to be the best selling item across continents.
There are currently 7 official stores (5 in Italy and 2 in Australia) and 2 official online shops (Italy and Australia)
All the products are 100% Made in Italy
The company uses eco-friendly practices such as vegetable tanning (using mimosa vegetable extract) for the leather components (as opposed to chrome tanning)
The official distributor of Uashmama in the Philippines is INEXPH Inc. and the online store www.uashmamaph.com is going live this June!

Here’s a little teaser for Patty’s post coming out in a few weeks showcasing all the beautiful carry bags that Uashmama has! I loved this one so much that I took it home right after the shoot!