About
We are Wiola and Sebastian and together we build our history in life and in our brand. BOHEMA is the fulfillment of our dreams of creating a fashion that carries a message. It is simply a reflection of our values that guide us on a daily basis. We couldn't make our dreams come true without the invaluable support of Sebastian's parents who are the heart of our brand. It is their passion for craftsmanship and craftsmanship that allow us to create timeless and refined models of shoes.
“When creating our collections, we constantly observe what is happening in the world. What inspires us and what takes over or even scares us. Because, in our opinion, fashion has always reflected social moods "
From the beginning, we present our own definition of streetwear dressed in innovative plant materials. We were the first in the world to create shoes made of cactus leather, and the first in Poland to create shoes made of vegetable leather such as Pinatex pineapple leather, apple leather or Vegea grape leather. Our projects are contemporary, but timeless design, innovative materials that are friendly to the planet and animals, as well as exquisite handmade craftsmanship. We do our best to create new fashion.
Plant avantgarde / Dressed in awareness
Contemporary design in a timeless edition dressed in innovative plant materials - you will find it all in our collections. We create for everyone who likes to express their own style, and at the same time appreciate the quality of craftsmanship. Everything with care for the environment and animals. We believe that the future of fashion is in our hands. Together, we can set trends.
Join the club #createfutureoffashion/ #bohemachangers / #bohemamates
How it all started ...
1998 Passion passed down from generation to generation
In a small family workshop, Sebastian watches his father Edward, an experienced shoemaker, and his mother Halina, an experienced seamstress, making beautiful and high-quality shoes by hand, pair by pair. This is how his passion for craftsmanship is born
2013 Polish fashion in the cruelty free edition
15 years later, Sebastian establishes the first vegan streetwear brand in Poland, in which he focuses on contemporary but timeless design, craftsmanship and vegan materials.
2017 The next step - material made of pineapple leaves
Sebastian and his partner Wiola decide to go and start testing an innovative plant material made of Pinatex pineapple leaves.
2018 - The first Polish shoes made of pineapple leather
Bohema introduces the first pineapple leather shoes in Poland.
2019 - World's first cactus leather shoes
BOHEMA is the first brand in the world to create shoes made of a new plant material from the Desserto cactus
2020, January - BOHEMA appears at the first international Who's Next fair in Paris
2020, September - BOHEMA is awarded in the Brief magazine's ranking of the 50 most creative in business (16th place)
2020, October - BOHEMA joins the organization of Vegan Fashion Week
2021- BOHEMA goes one step further and creates shoes made of new plant material from grapes Vegea
MANIFESTO
How we create
The future of fashion is in the palm of our hands. Let's set good trends together!
Care for animals and the environment have been the most important values of our brand from the very beginning. We make sure that the fashion we create expresses them. We want to leave the smallest possible footprint on the environment, so each of our actions - from the idea to the moment of delivering the product to the customer - is very well thought out.
All our collections are handmade in Poland according to the principles of sustainable production. We support local craftsmen from whom we source our components. The innovative plant materials we use are an excellent alternative to animal skin. Our packaging is made of recyclable materials. We know that there is still a lot to be done, so every day we think about the next steps that will allow us to create the most responsible fashion.
Sustainable production is very important to us and we want to be in control of every stage of it. That is why:
- Prototypes are made in one size only
- We create a minimum stock level, and a large part of the production takes place after the order is placed
- We introduced the "pre-order" sales model
All this to avoid unnecessary overproduction.
Materials
We create our collections from innovative plant materials. We were the first in the world to create shoes made of cactus leather, and the first in Poland to create shoes made of vegetable leather such as Pinatex pineapple leather, apple leather or Vegea grape leather. Vegetable "hides" is an innovative alternative to animal hides, which is also environmentally friendly.
Get to know our materials:
Desserto
Desserto® is a highly sustainable, plant-based vegan leather made of cactus that is remarkably soft to the touch with excellent durability. Cactus leather meets the most stringent quality and environmental standards. The goal is to offer cruelty-free, sustainable alternatives, without toxic chemicals, phthalates and PVC. Desserto® is also partially biodegradable.
Learn the 10 most important ecological facts about the Desserto® Organic Cactus Farm:
- Improvement of biodiversity in the region.
- Restores Land Use Change (LUC).
- Enrichment of soil microflora and microflora by afforestation of native and typically organic cacti.
- Huge water savings as no irrigation is used.
- Environmental protection as no chemicals such as herbicides or pesticides are used.
- The cactus is undamaged to enable multiple harvests from the same plant.
- Energy saving thanks to the raw material drying in the solarium.
- No cross-industry conflict as the by-product is diverted to the food industry in a form of increased value which is more attractive and stimulates the agricultural sector to plant more cacti.
- Full farm vision and traceability to ensure sustainable social practices.
- Technological improvements in the fields.
Do you know that...
- The cactus is a natural carbon sink and has a high CO2 scavenging capacity - from 14 acres of farming it absorbs 8,100 tonnes of CO2 / year, while only 15.30 tonnes of CO2 are produced per year.
- To produce one linear meter of Desserto, you need about 3 cactus leaves.
Certificates:
The GRS certificate specifies specific requirements for recycled fibers. The GRS certificate may be applied to products which contain at least 50% of recycled materials.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100. This certificate informs the consumer that the fabric is free from harmful chemicals.
USDA Organic is the most restrictive organic certificate in the world. Products with this certificate must be at least 95% organic. The ingredients of the products may not be genetically modified, artificially preserved or chemically processed.
Vegea
The name VEGEA comes from the combination of VEG (vegan) and GEA (Mother Earth). It was selected to identify a new generation of alternatives to entirely petroleum and animal based materials.
Vegea has developed a proprietary process for the valorization of wine waste: grape marc, which consists of grape skins, stems and seeds discarded during wine production. The material has a high content of vegetable / recycled materials such as vegetable oils and natural fibers from the agricultural industry.
Made in Italy, the material complies with the most stringent European regulations (REACH), is solvent-free, pet-friendly and made in Italy.
The production process does not use any toxic solvents, heavy metals and substances hazardous to humans and the environment.
Pinatex
Piñatex® is an innovative fabric that has been developed as a sustainable alternative to both mass-produced leather and polluting synthetic materials, offering you a better choice for a better future.
The material producer is committed to the values of the circular economy, combining research and innovation to improve the welfare of the earth and its inhabitants throughout the product life cycle, inspired by the * Cradle to Cradle® approach, which supports green, smart and innovative design principles in today's environment economic.
Pineapple is associated with a delicious fruit, but Pinatex uses its leaves, which usually rot on the ground after harvesting. No additional water, fertilizers or human labor are needed to produce the material. In addition, when producing fibers for shoes, a by-product is biomass, which farmers use as organic fertilizer.
Piñatex® is sustainably sourced, made from natural waste. The production is characterized by low water consumption and low production waste, does not contain harmful chemicals or animal products.
Apple Skin
Apple Skin is an innovative and highly sustainable hybrid material (vegan leather) made in Italy. It integrates organic apple peel with the skin of the material, making it an ecological alternative for people who care about the environment and animal life. Thanks to this technique, less PU is used, making the material an excellent choice for environmentally conscious customers.
Our stores
For a long time, our collections were only available online. Now you can see and try them on in our showroom at Nowy Świat 54/56 in Warsaw. When creating our workplace, we also thought about sustainable development - we wanted to give you the opportunity to make informed purchases so as not to generate returns that leave a large footprint on the environment.
See how we sell sustainably:
- All proofs of purchase are sent electronically to avoid the need to use up paper
- All printed materials, such as tags, are printed on recycled paper
- We take care of proper recycling
- We do not use plastic and plastic packaging
- We commute to work by bike or public transport
You must visit us;)