Lead the Change: How O My Bag is making the world better with fair bags

From idea to impact

Just after graduating, Paulien saw a clear gap in the market: stylish work bags made fairly and responsibly. She wrote a business plan with a friend, got a loan from the City of Amsterdam, and travelled to India to find the right production partners.

It wasn’t easy. “We spoke to at least forty producers. Some weren’t transparent, others produced poor-quality products, and many had terrible working conditions,” says Paulien. After many conversations and setbacks, they found a Fairtrade-certified factory that shared their vision. That’s where O My Bag truly began. “I was standing in that factory thinking: I came up with this, and now it’s happening.”

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Growing without compromise

What started with one factory and a few samples has grown into a brand with 33 employees, two shops in Amsterdam, a strong online presence and over 500 retailers worldwide, including de Bijenkorf, and many independent boutiques in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the US.

Still, the core mission hasn’t changed: fair trade, living wages, and long-term partnerships. O My Bag pays a living wage to its makers in India. A wage that people can live on, unlike the legal minimum. They also work closely with local NGOs to ensure this is done fairly and consistently.

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Real change starts with people

One powerful example is a small sewing workshop near Kolkata, started by a former employee. She began making dust bags and offering work to widowed or divorced women with limited opportunities. Now, 25 women work there. “These women used to be excluded, now they’re financially independent. That’s what drives me,” says Paulien.

So far, O My Bag’s production partners in India have created over 1,000 fair jobs. The company also donates 1% of its revenue to social projects in the same regions, focusing on education, healthcare and female leadership. Since the start, they’ve positively impacted over 17,000 lives. From the women working in the factories to the children who can now go to school because of that work. Paulien: “It’s about lifting the entire community, not just paying salaries.”

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Materials with a mission

O My Bag started with eco-tanned leather. Leather made without harmful chemicals in an environmentally responsible way. But the brand didn’t stop there. Today, they use Uppeal, a vegan material from Italy made from leftover apple pulp. And since 2024, they’ve added MIRUM to their vegan line: the first 100% plant-based, plastic-free alternative to leather with a much lower CO₂ footprint.

They’re also tackling reuse. Since 2019, their pre-loved platform has collected, refurbished and resold over 2,400 used bags, giving them a second life.

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Radical transparency

What sets O My Bag apart is transparency. Every year, they publish an impact report showing exactly how much CO₂ they emit, what materials they use, how they deal with waste, and how much they invest in social impact.

“If you want to make a real difference, you need to know where you stand. And people want to know that too. They don’t just want a nice product; they want to know who made it and under what conditions. Even if it’s not perfect yet, you just say so,” says Paulien.

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Sustainability as a must-have

For Paulien, sustainability isn’t a marketing trick. It’s a must-have for doing business. “If in 2025 you’re still saying ‘we’ll do something about it one day’, you’re way behind. Customers demand it, employees expect it, and new regulations will force it anyway.”

Still, it’s not always easy. “Especially for smaller businesses. But every step matters. We measure our emissions, we offset what we can’t avoid (yet), and we keep improving based on what the data tells us.” All O My Bag’s deliveries are now 100% CO₂ neutral, a logical step in a supply chain that keeps improving.

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B Corp and the power of progress

O My Bag has been a B Corp since 2015. In their latest recertification, they scored an impressive 129.4 points, one of the highest in the sector. “That shows we’re serious. For me, it’s not just a badge, it’s a way of working. It keeps us sharp and helps us move forward.”

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Paulien’s message to other entrepreneurs

“Don’t wait until everything is perfect. Just start. Focus on what you can change. Find partners who want to think with you. And be honest. About what’s working, and what still needs work. That’s way more powerful than any polished marketing story.”

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Lead the Change

Paulien Wesselink proves that style and sustainability can go together. She’s building a brand that inspires, through the products and how they’re made. O My Bag isn’t a fashion brand with a sustainable edge. It’s an impact brand that happens to sell bags. And that makes all the difference.