Baggu is an American brand that produces casual bags and accessories using recycled materials at a low price point. It is best known for its reusable shopping bags made from ripstop nylon.
CEO Emily Sugihara grew up in Del Mar, California, attended Torrey Pines High School, and studied economics at the University of Michigan.[1] 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.[2][1][3]
The company launched with an $8 reusable shopping bag, and a focus on sustainability and minimal waste.[2] Sugihara and her mother developed the original design; the basic bag remains mostly unchanged.[4] 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.[2] 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).[5][6]
The brand has a variety of products (and materials) in addition to the flagship bags, ranging from picnic blankets to bag charms.[7][8] In 2011, the brand released a "sophisticated" collection of bags made from soft Argentine leather.[6] 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.[9] 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.[10]
Baggu is popular among Gen Z, and inspires "mass adoration ... in New York, and far beyond".[11] On TikTok, a community of self-described "Baggu girlies" post TikToks of the various Baggu bags they have collected.[2] 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.[12][2]
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.[13] 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.[14][15]
