In Her Words: A Note from Yasmin Sabet
Dear Ibu Allies,
I am Yasmin Sabet, the founder of Mola Sasa, which began from a small, holiday trunk show with my mother and her friends. I could not have imagined that it would grow into the business it is today.
I was buying mola textiles at a downtown market in Bogotá to use as trimmings for my bedroom curtains. Looking at the gorgeous textiles, I thought, Why not make fun handbags with these beautiful textiles and mix different patterns and colors?! The next morning, I returned to the market and bought a bunch of molas, found a workshop, and produced the first pieces. Word spread, and my cousins, who had a showroom in New York, picked them up and the business took off from there.
The original examples were made with vintage textiles from the Guna Dule in the San Blas Islands (Panamá). At first, I wasn’t thinking about the women artisans who made the textiles, although I had made furniture with artisans for a couple of years in Bogotá. When Moda Operandi commissioned a trunk show, I realized I had to set up some sort of production and reached back out to a Guna Dule contact named Rosmery for help to deliver the order.
My relationship with Rosmery continues to this day, and that is how I came to understand the real impact Mola Sasa could have on the indigenous communities of women artisans across Colombia. It is the certainty that our work is impacting lives in such a positive way that keeps me doing what I do—even at difficult times when the future is uncertain.
The Ibu Movement was one of our first clients, and has been a partner throughout our journey. Together, we have designed very special pieces such as the Jaguar coat which Iris Apfel so stylishly wore. Ibu, and its Ambassadors such as Alli Mac Graw and Charlotte Moss, have showcased our work and elevated our visibility. I have been honored to travel to Charleston to speak at the launch of the Ibu Foundation—I was so incredibly proud and flattered—and to participate in their Colombiana! event last November. Being recognized by Susan Hull Walker and the Ibu team has helped me see—with a new perspective—the value of the work we do to elevate indigenous Colombian women and their crafts.
L to R: Iris Apfel in the Jaguar Coat; Cotton Kuna Bag from the 2017 Charlotte Moss X Ibu collection; Ali MacGraw with her 2018 Ali4Ibu collection.
Having a small niche brand that works with artisans has numerous challenges. The indigenous groups that work with Mola Sasa have their own rhythms, and many live in remote areas, so growing as a company while respecting their needs is a difficult balance to maintain. We are always trying to think creatively about how to scale a heritage craft while maintaining its authenticity.
We recently partnered Avianca Airlines to design their “amenity kits” for travelers, with eight designs that are collectible over time. The women creating the kits receive royalties for each unit, and with the funds are creating workshops for younger generations to help preserve the skills and culture. Right now this project is helping 220 women from the Guna Dule ethnicity with consistent work and income. Elevating their textiles and showing them to the world, as well as the women behind the work, I think is what I feel most proud about.
The Ibu Marketplace presents a thoughtful curation of refined artisanal pieces from all over the world, and every time I am there I want to buy everything! The collections are just not beautiful pieces—each one, like the bags and bangles from Mola Sasa, represents a story and a human life that is impacted by your purchases. I have seen from the beginning how Ibu grants propel growing organizations and I know that your donations make an impact. So keep supporting and shopping, because you are changing lives!
Muchas Gracias,
Yasmin Sabet
Founder and Designer, Mola Sasa
