The Colombian Designer Who Turned Beach Waste Into Fashion Gold

Forbes

8 hours ago

Baobab's high summer collection 2025 features vibrant designs in candy hues
The scene is vivid: a 22-year-old law student in Bogotá, Colombia, surrounded by legal textbooks, bra cups, stretchy fabrics, and scissors, working late not for her upcoming exams, but for her passion project. What came after was no surprise in hindsight — instead of pursuing a career in law and politics, Isabella Espinosa saved her lunch money to buy bikini materials and began building what seemed like an impossible dream.
'It started as an emotional decision rather than a logical one,' Espinosa speaks of the early days of her brand Baobab, a sustainable swimwear brand that has exploded from $250,000 in revenue in 2020 to over $9 million in 2024. Today, Espinosa's stylish and versatile range of resort- and swimwear has drawn a loyal fanbase — counting close to half a million followers on their Instagram account alone; her flagship stores span from Bogotá to New York's West Village, with her designs sold in boutiques in over 450 locations across 50 countries, all topped with a growing B2C strategy to ensure direct engagement with customers.
Baobab's humble beginning started with what can be seen on Colombian beaches in abundance: waste coconuts falling from trees. 'What if we pack the bikinis into coconut shells?' Espinosa thought, before going on to create the distinctive packaging that would catch the attention of Victoria's Secret and launch her brand into the global spotlight. Working with artist Pilar Hernandez, she transformed these discarded shells into the now-iconic 'Coco Bag' — sustainable packaging in its most original form, which also doubles as a beach bag.
Baobab's line of resort-inspired accessories also contributed to the brand's popularity
The innovation was born from necessity — 'I couldn't afford the high minimum orders required for traditional packaging,' Espinosa explains, before adding: 'It was sustainable, reusable, and completely plastic-free.' A perfect solution that summarizes her brand's philosophy (in a nutshell, literally): turning limitations into opportunities, waste into luxury.
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Baobab faced an existential crisis like many privately owned and funded fashion brands. Who needed swimsuits in a lockdown? 'I doubled down,' Espinosa says, and recalls how she spent her time during the pandemic to innovate with coral reef restoration programs, create versatile 'beach-to-bar' designs, and expand in wholesale by speaking to retailers. The strategy proved brilliant. Within a year of partnering with Intermix, one of the brand's first big account secured during this period, Baobab grew 2,250% within their stores.
The 'Beach to Bar' philosophy subsequently became a crucial part to Baobab's DNA. To date, the brand's vibrant and joy-inducing pieces are created with versatility in mind, making them the perfect vacation picks allowing seamless transitions from swimwear to evening wear. 'It's not just about what we wear, but how we wear it,' Espinosa explains.
As unconventional as its founder's journey, Baobab's marketing strategy is key in the brand's rise to stardom. Instead of reinvesting in seasonal trade shows, the brand focused on storytelling, launching stunning runways in iconic locations like the Seine River and the Amazon rainforest. These spectacular shows, including presentations in Madagascar's Baobab Tree Valley and Dubai's desert, have become signature events that spiked Baobab's brand awareness on a global scale with breathtaking content created for the brand's ever-growing online community, while ensuring the brand stay true to its nature-inspired ethos.
Isabella Espinosa (center), founder of Baobab, with models at the brand's runway show at the Baobab Tree Valley in Madagascar
Beyond fashion and vacation pieces, Baobab is working on a mission to better the planet. In 2023, the brand recycled three tons of waste through its Cascade program under the Baobab Foundation. Every piece is made from recycled ocean plastics and discarded fishing nets, while the dyeing process uses a steaming technique that generates zero water waste or chemical residues. Espinosa shows further commitment: for every swimsuit sold, a tree is planted, and proceeds go to supporting coral reef restoration in Colombia's San Andrés archipelago.
Last year, Baobab made its debut at PARAISO Miami Swim Week and hosted its first Miami pop-up in the Design District, in addition to opening its first flagship boutique in New York. This year, the brand is showing no signs of slowing down, having launched on Moda Operandi and its high summer collection, 'Le Soleil', that continues to draw inspiration from Colombia's biodiversity. This week, Baobab announced its collaboration with New York It girl Leah McCarthy, unveiling a 30-piece range of swimwear, dresses and accessories that embodies a touch more playfulness on top of the brand's usual elevated aesthetics.
Looking ahead, Espinosa's vision remains uncompromisingly ambitious. 'Growth should never come at the cost of our values,' she insists. With the Baobab Foundation pushing initiatives like the Latin American Cascade Challenge powered by LAFS, she's expanding her zero-waste mission across the region. 'For us, growth isn't just about revenue, it's about impact,' Espinosa reflects. 'We're not just building a brand; we're building a movement that can set fashion as a tool for change.'