Baggu

CEO Emily Sugihara grew up in Del Mar, California, attended Torrey Pines High School, and studied economics at the University of Michigan.{{cite news|date=2014-02-14|title=Tastemaker: Emily Sugihara|url=https://sandiegomagazine.com/things-to-do/tastemaker-emily-sugihara/|work=San Diego Magazine|access-date=2025-02-25|archive-date=January 22, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122222322/https://sandiegomagazine.com/things-to-do/tastemaker-emily-sugihara/|url-status=live}} At Michigan, Sugihara and her roommate sold screen-printed T-shirts online. She later studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design in New York City and worked at J.Crew as an assistant designer. In 2007, when she was 24, Sugihara, her mother Joan Hall Sugihara, and family friend Ellen Vanderlaan released the first Baggu bag. They wanted to manufacture the bags in her home town of San Diego, but the price point was too high and would have led to $40 bags. Production commenced in China instead.{{cite web |last1=Pilat |first1=Kasia |title=Bagging a New Generation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/17/style/baggu-tiktok-gen-z.html |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=The New York Times |date=17 June 2023 |archive-date=December 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241229031810/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/17/style/baggu-tiktok-gen-z.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Ruffner |first=Zoe |date=2019-04-23 |title=Master the Art of Layering With This San Francisco Bag Guru |url=https://www.vogue.com/vogueworld/article/emily-sugihara-baggu-layering-style-san-francisco-9-5 |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=Vogue |language=en-US |archive-date=February 24, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250224061103/https://www.vogue.com/vogueworld/article/emily-sugihara-baggu-layering-style-san-francisco-9-5 |url-status=live }}

The company launched with an $8 reusable shopping bag, and a focus on sustainability and minimal waste. Sugihara and her mother developed the original design; the basic bag remains mostly unchanged.{{Cite web |last=Singer |first=Jill |date=2011-04-25 |title=Inside Baggu, the Hypercolorful, Reusable Tote for Every Generation |url=https://www.sightunseen.com/2011/04/baggu/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=Sight Unseen |language=en-US |archive-date=February 3, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250203155258/https://www.sightunseen.com/2011/04/baggu/ |url-status=live }} Initial advertising in Teen Vogue led to a customer base of teenage girls who could afford the bags, found the colors attractive, and were drawn to the product's environmentally friendly focus. Each reusable shopping bag has the capacity to hold the equivalent of three plastic grocery bags. Crafted from 40% recycled ripstop nylon, they are strong enough to carry up to 50 pounds (23 kilograms).{{cite news|last=Giordano|first=Medea|date=2024-07-28|title=Our Favorite Eco-Friendly Bags Made of Recycled Materials|url=https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-recycled-bags/|work=Sustainable Brands|access-date=2025-02-25|archive-date=February 23, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250223132213/https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-recycled-bags/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Lanks|first=Belinda|date=2011-10-20|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1665246/wanted-baggu-goes-upmarket-with-new-leather-bags-2|title=Wanted: Baggu Goes Upmarket, With New Leather Bags|work=Fast Company|access-date=2025-02-24|archive-date=January 5, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250105023711/https://www.fastcompany.com/1665246/wanted-baggu-goes-upmarket-with-new-leather-bags-2|url-status=live}}

The brand has a variety of products (and materials) in addition to the flagship bags, ranging from picnic blankets to bag charms.{{cite web |last1=Rivera |first1=Sofia |date=2024-04-27|title=This Darling Baggu Picnic Blanket Is My Holy Grail for Spring |url=https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/baggu-puffy-picnic-blanket-review-37395340 |website=Apartment Therapy |access-date=3 February 2025 |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Griffiths |first1=Rachael |title=A Bag Charm for Every Kind of Person |url=https://nymag.com/strategist/article/bag-charms-gifts.html |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=The Strategist |language=en |date=20 November 2024}} In 2011, the brand released a "sophisticated" collection of bags made from soft Argentine leather. Baggu has collaborated with numerous companies including No. 6 clogs, tie dye artist Shabd Alexander, J.Crew, Pilgrim Surf + Supply, West Elm, Fredericks & Mae, and ALL Knitwear.{{cite web|last=Beeney|first=Carola|date=2013-10-28|title=The Cat's in the BAGGU: Emily Sugihara Talks Sourcing and Collaboration|url=https://sustainablebrands.com/read/the-cat-s-in-the-baggu-emily-sugihara-talks-sourcing-and-collaboration|work=Sustainable Brands|access-date=2025-02-25}} In 2024, Baggu collaborated with New York label Collina Strada on a collection which included bags, pouches, towels, a pop-up tent, and a picnic blanket.{{Cite web |last=Garcia-Furtado |first=Laia |date=2024-06-25 |title=The New Baggu x Collina Strada Collection Has Everything You Need This Summer |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/baggu-collina-strada-collaboration |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}

Baggu is popular among Gen Z, and inspires "mass adoration ... in New York, and far beyond".{{cite web |last1=Frye |first1=Hannah |title=Baggu and Uniqlo Have Nearly Identical Bags. But One Is Better. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/baggu-uniqlo-crescent-bag-review/ |website=The New York Times |access-date=3 February 2025 |date=13 November 2024 |archive-date=February 3, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250203172435/https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/baggu-uniqlo-crescent-bag-review/ |url-status=live }} On TikTok, a community of self-described "Baggu girlies" post TikToks of the various Baggu bags they have collected. Some commenters argue that Baggu's limited releases and designer collaborations promote overconsumption, and that the collector culture surrounding the reusable bags undermines the brand's sustainability.{{cite web |last1=Cohn |first1=Lauren |date=2023-09-16|title=The Overconsumption Problem of Collector Culture |url=https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/collector-culture-overconsumption-problem-exclusive-drop |website=L'Officiel USA |language=en}}

It was later revealed that Collina Strada used the generative AI tool Midjourney in some of their print designs for the Baggu collection. The use of AI was found by a Reddit user who used a program that can detect if an image has possibly been created with AI.{{Cite web |last=Luna |first=Elizabeth de |date=2024-06-26 |title=Collina Strada's Baggu collab is under fire for using AI-generated prints |url=https://mashable.com/article/collina-strada-baggu-ai |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Mashable |language=en}} Some fans were disappointed by the lack of transparency regarding the use of AI, calling it "lame", "so disappointing", and "unforgivable". The environmental impact of AI was also an issue for some.{{Cite web |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=2024-06-26 |title=An AI-designed horse purse is tearing apart this small but passionate community |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/26/24186635/baggu-collina-strada-collaboration-ai-purses-art |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=The Verge |language=en-US |archive-date=February 5, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250205022921/https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/26/24186635/baggu-collina-strada-collaboration-ai-purses-art |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=2024-07-03 |last=Mzizi |first=Yola |title=Fashion's AI Dilemma Is Getting Worse |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/technology/fashion-ai-dilemma-is-getting-worse/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=The Business of Fashion |language=en |archive-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722202014/https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/technology/fashion-ai-dilemma-is-getting-worse/ |url-status=live }}

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Category:Bags (fashion)

Category:Fashion accessories

Category:American companies established in 2007