When your Birkin collection is so big that a moving company can’t insure it, maybe it’s time to diversify. Aleksandra Badura, Founder and Creative Director of the BADURA by Aleksandra Badura brand has created the bag that the Hermès-loving crew has added to their collection, for when they want to differentiate themselves from the crowd. After all, she believes that a bag should be just as unique as you.
We sat down with Aleksandra to discuss how the BADURA by Aleksandra Badura brand came to be, her scrupulous approach to every individual client, and, of course – travel.
Where are you based? And where is the BADURA by Aleksandra Badura brand based?
Since I was 25, I have been based in the heart of Rome. The company is based here as well. Here, we have our atelier. It’s very close to Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna. Our workshop is about 5km from here, but still in the center. We also have another location in Milano, also in the heart of the city. In both locations, we welcome our guests by appointment only.
Why appointment only?
Because real luxury is in uniqueness. Uniqueness and time. Like time that we share with our loved ones – we share that with our clients. So, before being about the sale of product, the BADURA by Aleksandra Badura world is an experience.
You breathe the product. Because once you experience the magic behind the product, then you are more conscious of why you should buy it. It’s something that’s a part of quiet luxury, and it’s not some commonly seen distribution, like other industrial brands. They have lost their magic.
So, you define luxury as more of a holistic experience?
Absolutely. Because you have time. And time is the most precious thing in our lives. So, when everyone else is running, we slow down.
Can you talk about how the BADURA by Aleksandra Badura brand came to be?
This is a funny story. I used to work contracting interior design projects for hotels, luxury villas abroad, etc. I was born in a family where each piece of our wardrobe was custom-made. As a child, I used to go around ateliers with my mother and grandmother to see how each piece was made. Everything was tailored to you.
Once I got older, I had the desire to have a unique, comfortable bag. But, I am not a copycat. So, while I was working between Rome, Dubai and London, I designed my bag. I went to an artisanal workshop here in Rome. I showed them my bag, built from 60 elements. I then travelled to Dubai, for a meeting with a client — this was about 15 years ago. It was in a beautiful hotel, and I went there with my bag. Straight away, the client I was meeting (a local luxury handbag connoisseur), asked me whose bag I had. I said, “It’s mine.” And she couldn’t understand. She kept saying, “No, I want to know the name of the brand.” She thought I was misunderstanding the question. And so, I said, “This is my personal one. A Badura. It’s a Badura bag.”
The color of my bag was green ostrich, and inside, it was yellow. And immediately, she asked me for one just like mine. But I told her, “Sorry, it’s not possible.” I offered to make her the exact same bag, same design, but inside, she should have her lucky color. Mine was yellow. She said her lucky color was pink.
We all deserve a unique piece that expresses our personalities. From this moment, the concept of the collection was born – no bag will be alike.
How has the business progressed since then?
I designed the collection, once I came back to Rome. The inspiration came from the diamond cut. Now, we have around 19 models for ladies. For men, we have 4 unisex bags. And we have over 100 colors now, for the lining of the bags.
I launched the brand by opening my first flagship store in Rome, very close to the Spanish steps, next to Gucci and to Balenciaga. So, the surroundings were perfect for launching this kind of brand.
And where is the BADURA by Aleksandra Badura brand now?
After four years, I decided to switch it to atelier work. We have this beautiful atelier in the heart of Rome, which is a hidden gem. It’s behind a closed door in a beautiful villa, where inside, you feel at home. You walk around about 150 square meters of space of the showroom – and it’s only at your disposal. Try to imagine how luxurious that feels. The doors are open only for you.
And I did the same in Milano. Both of our locations, in Milano and Rome, have a workshop with plenty of raw materials. The difference between Milano and Rome is that in Milano, the setup is more like an iconic Milanese showroom.
Step by step, I was recognized by the public, by our clients. It was word of mouth. I arranged different trunk shows in New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo.
And we continue to grow.
Can you tell us about the different bag models?
The one from my story is the Ladylike bag. Each bag is a different color, with a unique colored lining inside. They can be turquoise, or orange, or black (the classic one) — it’s up to you. And inside, you can have your lucky color. Fuchsia, lobster, nude. So for example, you and me, we can have the same black bag, but when you open it, it will always have a different color. They never, ever repeat, so it’s a guaranteed unique piece. And this model is called Ladylike because ladies like it. It’s very comfortable. It has lots of compartments, and you can keep things well-organized in your bag.
Of course, I have a bag for everyone. We have the structured models and soft models too. The Weekender bag is perfect a quick escape. The majority of our handbags are perfect for adorning day into night.
But any of them, when you open it, it will have a color to match your distinctive personality.
And you still personally meet with every client?
Yes, personally, by appointment only. I share my time between Milano and Rome, and then we have trunk shows around the world. With clients who already know the brand, we can do video calls. They already know the quality, they know how we work. So, they can choose the models with a more online shop experience.
What is the atelier experience like?
Our clients get to be creative here. They mix all the leathers together, they see how the bag is built, how it’s folded. It is a hands-on experience, prioritizing our clients’ time. We value showing our clients what real, authentic leather goods are and making them aware of the piece they are investing in. We want the BADURA experience to equip our clients with the knowledge of differentiating between what is real leather goods.
The difference between us and factories is that here, it’s immersive. You become the hero of the object. You put your hands on everything. And you can personalize everything. If your car is, for example, yellow or green, you can make that the color of the outside of your bag, and the color of the interiors of your car on the inside of the bag. Or, you can put the license plate of your car on your strap if you want. Or your initials.
How long does it take to manufacture a BADURA by Aleksandra Badura bag?
In one month, two months maximum, we deliver. But sometimes, clients buy what we have already manufactured, if they come here and see what they love.
How many people are involved in the BADURA by Aleksandra Badura brand altogether?
In the workshop, we have 11 workers. Between the atelier and Milano, we have another five.
What are the prices like?
We guarantee equitable prices. Because here, we go from the manufacturer straight to the client.
That’s why it’s so important for us to show how the bag is made, and have the client feel the experience. Today, the question should be not how much an item is, but how long was spent on it, who it was made by, and where it was made. We don’t do investments in advertising either. It’s all word of mouth to preserve our authenticity.
Is BADURA by Aleksandra Badura a sustainable brand?
Yes, extremely sustainable. We say this to all our clients. We are not here to sell. We are here to feel what the real high leather goods products are, and see their uniqueness. They come here, they see all those elements, all those leathers. They touch the leather. In the era of shopping online, you are not even able to recognize real leather from fake leather. How do you recognize the real deal from calfskin? So, we show all of that.
What happens with the big brands is that you start to lose trust in the luxury, because they’re not sustainable. They’re using human resources in a very unsustainable way. Keeping them working from day to night. And we know all of this, because we are in the same industry.
We have been selected by big hotels for corporate projects. We work with St. Regis and Six Senses. Six Senses, for example, is an extremely sustainable hotel. For them, ecology is the core business. And they selected us to be their partner, because we have huge respect for all things that come from the natural environment. For this reason, we buy the overproduction—the dead stocks—from big brands, and give them a new life by repurposing them in our bags’ vibrant linings.
Two days ago, I was a guest by invitation of the Ministry of Made in Italy. I gave a speech about how a company like mine can be sustainable. And it was a very big, important achievement, being there with the Ministry, with the professors of the University, and have my brand be the case study.
Where else is your brand being showcased?
The bags are also showcased in all Belmond Hotels, Caruso, Cipriani, Portofino, in Tuscany, in Sicily.
Do you have a favorite hotel to stay at?
I really love the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, in India. It was really wonderful.
I also love the Bürgenstock Spa in Switzerland, in Lucerne. It’s really wonderful, because you have views of all the lakes. I also very much like Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz. In Italy, I love Pink Palace, in Ravello. And, of course, here in Rome, there are so many beautiful hotels. The new one, which is Six Senses, is really beautiful.
And do you have a favorite destination?
I loved India – it was a really wonderful place for me. And I loved Marrakech. In Marrakech, there is one hotel, which I absolutely love – La Sultana.
And I love Greece. Every year, I spend summer in the microislets. These are the very, very small islands — flip-flops only, and you have to walk everywhere because there aren’t any cars. So, you are completely immersed in the nature, which I love. I love wind — in the evening, it gets a bit cold. I really like these small pearl islands on Aegean. The most beautiful starry sky I have seen is there too. And also in Australia.
Do you have a destination you would love to visit, but didn’t get a chance to yet?
I think Tibet, because I love trekking. So, I would love to have a trekking experience in Tibet. Or a trekking experience in Pakistan, between the three most important peaks.
And of your bags, which one is your favorite for traveling?
Definitely the Ladylike. It’s a classic, like no other.
