This Colombian Accessories Line Captures Summer's Obsession with Neutrals
With hues like terracotta, beige, tan, and mustard, Colombian accessories line Mola Sasa ushers in summer’s new neutrals.
“We mix various techniques that speak of a country full of color and diversity; in that way are able to share a piece of us with the world,” says Colombian designer Yasmin Sabet, who founded the line Mola Sasa. Drawing from a palette of neutral tones, Sabet redefines the richness of this summer’s hottest hues with her latest collection. By choosing muted earth tones like mellow rose, hazelnut, and azure grey to define a summer collection of accessories, Sabat shows that color isn’t solely defined by vibrancy.
Sabet works with indigenous artisans on all her collections, with Mola Sasa’s fabrics being hand sewn in the Northern regions of Colombia and Panama. As a result, the designer is able to help create a sustainable job economy within Latin American communities, ensuring that consumers and craftspeople alike benefit from the Mola Sasa brand. By employing the craftspeople who inspired her accessories line, Sabet ensures that the Latin American communities are positively impacted for their creativity.
These practices help distinguish Sabet’s line as one that embodies cultural exchange as opposed to cultural appropriation (the latter occurring within a context of historical inequity). The brand’s mission is to “evoke a sense of discovery” and to provide “traces of a journey to the world of ancient tribes, their land, their culture and traditions.”
To create the Estera Tote ($250/£187), known in the region as the Chimichagua tote, artisans hand weave the bag in Cesar, Colombia. The handles are woven using the caña flecha technique, which was developed to make the sombrero volteado (turned-over hat) worn by workers in coffee plantations.
Artisans also use the caña flecha technique to make the Maguey Hoop Earrings ($95/£71). According to the Mola Sasa lookbook, Kankuama women of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta hand weave fibers made of maguey, an agave plant native to Latin America. This same method is used for Mola Sasa’s Indira Belt ($80/£60), featuring a circular buckle.
“Our work with artisans is focused not only on the aesthetics of each piece but also on sourcing sustainable techniques,” Sabet writes in the Mola Sasa lookbook. “When I look for techniques, my go-to is usually the woman leader of each artisanal co-op.”
Mola Sasa’s neutrals are totally on brand for a label attuned to nature, and create the perfect summer aesthetic.
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