The SAGABOI x ETAPE mini bag collaboration just landed online to bring more colour to your life and vital support to Ukranian craftsmen.
About The Collection: The SAGABOI x ETAPE Bag Collab
This brand-new collaboration is made of small, colourful “bus-conductor” style bags with handles and a shoulder strap. Produced and hand-painted by Ukrainian artists in Kyiv, they feature visuals of Sagaboi’s Village motif: a captivating blend of high-definition colours, layered island architectural motifs, lush Caribbean flora, rustic light poles, and the intricate charm of West Indian brickwork. Made from leather, they are offered in vibrant shades of yellow, green, and orange, along with a black option and an as-yet-unseen, limited-edition Poinsettia red to be released just in time for Christmas and the holidays.
These bags represent a meeting point of Caribbean and Ukrainian artistry – via London – with proceeds from sales going to supporting and sustaining the rebuilding efforts of the fashion and artist communities in Ukraine. The bags originally debuted on SAGABOI's Spring/Summer 2024 LFW runway in June, then they were presented at an intimate industry brunch during London Fashion Week in September, both to rave reviews and constant queries as to when and where they would be available to buy.
About The Design: The SAGABOI Village Print
The soul of these little leatherworks is the Sagaboi Village print, an artistic masterpiece that beautifully captures the essence of the Caribbean. Designed to evoke the true spirit of the islands, the print showcases a delightful fusion of tropical references and iconic West Indian architecture and flora. The elements of SAGABOI's visual are all woven together in an enchanting pattern. Visages of Caribbean board houses, bars, and churches playfully dance alongside swaying coconut and banana trees, manifesting a unique design that transports one to the heart of the Caribbean's vibrant and rich culture.
SAGABOI x ETAPE: Behind And Beyond The Concept
Geoff K. Cooper, Sagaboi’s Creative Director, drew inspiration for Sagaboi’s S/S24 collection from research on the migration of people, and the imagined and real responses to cultures being introduced to new spaces. This was the starting point of the collaboration with Etape. Channelling the parallels of the Windrush generation – who, 75 years ago this year, arrived as immigrants invited to the UK to start a new life – and the forced migration of Ukrainian people to the UK due to the war, the collab was birthed.
“We wanted to create something positive from the similarities between Windrush and what is happening with Ukraine today. This collab is literally a bright and positive memento celebrating migration while supporting artists and artisans in Ukraine. Due to people migrating to other shores to start anew, great contributions to the creativity and culture of the spaces where they end up occur and we want to highlight and support this through our bags.” says Cooper.
Each piece in the SAGABOI x ETAPE collaboration is priced at £320, and it is available online on both ETAPE’s and SAGABOI’s websites.
