Style and sustainability: Maravillas Bags

It’s about a year ago that I met Christina for the first time. She had just opened the store for her label Maravillas Bags in the basement of Suite 13 near Plaça Major and was preparing for the design showroom „100% Mallorca“ with Maria and Alexia. When I followed her downstairs, I was surprised to see that it was shop and manufactory in one. And while I still marveled at the finished bags and accessories on the shelves I could watch Christina prepare her next piece in the small workspace.

Her bags have a wonderful touch and are extremely soft. No surprise if you know that Christina solely uses vegetable tanned leather, and organic cotton for the linings. If you are looking for something special, talk to her – she’ll make it for you. I couldn’t resist myself, now I have my own custom-made sholderstrap bag named Sara in sky blue and cream, with a fancy camouflage lining. Meanwhile, she has a great portfolio of different models like weekenders and rucksacks, totes, hobo bags and clutches in different colors and styles. And there’s also a cool small pouch thatcan be attached to a handlebar.

This summer, I visited Christina at the Green Showroom – the singular international fair for exclusive ecological design in Berlin – , where she was promoting her collection for next year. Among it a vegan line that is made of textile extracted from pineapple leaf fibres, the perfect alternative for all those who reject animal products. It’s an incredibly light but robust material named Piñatex that almost feels like paper. So far, their are not many designers who offer these kind of bags, but there is quite a demand for them, already, Christina told me.

She has a diploma as a fashion designer and used to work for film and theater in Berlin for a while. But is was only when she moved to Mallorca, that she decided to do what she loved most: working with leather, her favorite material. What started with a few individual models designed for friends eventually became her profession. And her brand: Maravillas Bags, a unique one-woman-business. Sure enough, Christina does everything herself. She is the designer, she searches for the best materials, she manufactures and sells her products. Speaking of: She also runs a beautiful online store – in case you can’t make it to Palma, right now.