Our story
From connecting cables to making light-up bags
It all started in 2009, in the midst of an economic crisis.
It was Dani and Lluís—friends for years and sound technicians. Our career prospects were becoming uncertain, and we had been talking for some time about making a change and building something in a field completely different from our own. One of the few things we were sure about was that we wanted to create something tangible. A product that we could imagine, design, develop, and sell ourselves. We were drawn to the idea of controlling the entire process and putting our own way of doing things into every step.
We have always been very curious about new technologies. Around that time, we spent quite a while exploring the possible applications of so-called smart textiles and looking at which technologies were within our reach. And from all that, an idea emerged:
What if we lit up the inside of a bag?
The first thing we did was search to see whether anything similar existed. We did not find what we had in mind and, since we specifically wanted to create something of our own and different, we decided that this would be our project. We still did not know how to make a bag, but that came later.
The idea was clear.
Sewing, not so much.
We already had the idea. The small problem was that neither of us knew how to make a bag. And we still didn’t have the lighting system that was supposed to go inside it.
We bought a sewing machine without really knowing how it worked and started learning from scratch. We had to understand how a bag was constructed, how patterns were made, and how different materials behaved. At the same time, we had to develop the lighting.
We sought help from technology centers, but the quotes for developing the system were completely beyond our means. So we decided to do the same thing with the lighting as we did with the bag: learn to make it ourselves.
Dani immersed himself in sewing, pattern-making, and bag construction. Lluís began learning electronics and developing the lighting system’s circuitry.
We asked questions, visited suppliers, and learned from anyone who could teach us something. Family members, friends, acquaintances, and professionals we met along the way lent us a hand during those early steps.
Little by little, we went from working with cables and sound equipment to cutting fabrics, making patterns, and developing the circuits for our first illuminated bags.
That’s how our journey as manufacturers truly began.
16 years making bags by hand
For sixteen years, we made our collections in our own workshop. There, we cut, sewed, created patterns and prototypes, tested, and made many, many bags.
Over the years, we learned to understand materials, stitching, and bag construction in a way that can only be learned by working with them every day: testing, making mistakes, correcting them, and starting over when necessary.
But we did not experience that stage alone. Fantastic teams of people who worked with us have passed through BABAU and are part of our history. We shared countless hours, learned from one another, and together made it possible for an idea that began between two people to become everything BABAU has been over these years.
We look back on that stage with immense pride: for the bags we made, for everything we learned, and, above all, for the people we were lucky enough to share it with.
There was a time when we had to choose: change or close down
For years, we tried to maintain our way of producing, even though it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so sustainably. At the same time, we had been seeing sales decline for some time, especially in stores. This led us to start looking for other ways of doing things and to consider how BABAU needed to evolve.
When one of the most difficult moments in our history arrived in July 2025, BABAU’s continued existence was genuinely at risk. We had to make some of the hardest decisions we have ever made. One of them was letting go of the three people who were working with us at the time—three fantastic people who were very important to BABAU and to us, who stood by our side for many years and until the end of that chapter. We can only speak of them with affection and gratitude. The best team in the world.
But there was another huge decision on the table. By then, we had already been working for more than a year on a new way of producing. The project was well advanced, and we had to decide whether to move forward or put it on hold just when our financial situation was at its most delicate.
We also understood that reducing the structure would not solve the problem on its own. If we wanted BABAU to continue, we had to change the way we worked.
Producing here was becoming increasingly difficult
Over the years, we saw the network of workshops, professionals, and suppliers we worked with gradually shrink. Some closed, while others retired without anyone taking up their trade, and finding certain professionals, materials, and processes became increasingly difficult.
At the same time, production costs continued to rise while we tried to keep our bags at reasonable prices. There was less and less room to maintain the structure we had.
Many suppliers for a single bag
Making a bag could involve working with seven or eight different suppliers: fabrics, linings, zippers, foams, metal parts, light components… each with their own minimum order quantities, lead times, and possibilities for making changes.
We could have almost everything ready and still be unable to finish production because a single component was missing, and that component could delay the bag, the collection, and its launch. Coordinating everything and resolving issues took up a huge part of our day-to-day work. We were spending more and more time getting things manufactured and less time designing what came next.
We’ve reached the limit of our machines
For sixteen years, we got the most out of the machinery in our workshop. Some of our machines are nearly forty years old and, although they still do their job well, we reached a point where we could no longer demand more from them. Certain finishes required an enormous amount of skill and time to achieve the precision we were looking for and, even with all our experience and care invested in each piece, there were times when the limit was no longer set by us, but by the machine.
Taking the next step by manufacturing here meant renewing a large part of our machinery and making a significant investment, but the machines were only one part of the equation: we also needed professionals with the expertise and experience to get the most out of them, and those specialised profiles were becoming increasingly difficult to find. We had the experience to know how we wanted to do things. What we were beginning to lack were the means to take them further.
AIR AND LUX, TODAY
Our current collections, Air and Lux, are made in China and crafted from 100% recycled materials: polyester in Air and PU in Lux.
This approach allows us to develop constructions, interiors, and finishes that would have been much more difficult to achieve with the resources available in our workshop.
SEATBELT, HERE
Our seat belt bags are still made locally.
We recover the seat belts used for these models here, and we also want to keep their transformation into bags close to home.
Not all our collections need to be produced in the same way.
Not a flashlight inside a bag.
A bag designed to light up.
Light was the starting point for BABAU. Since then, we have continued to evolve the system, and with the new Air and Lux collections, we have taken it a step further.
We now incorporate two LEDs that provide more and better light than our previous system, with a whiter, clearer light. But it’s not just about adding more light: we have also designed the interior to make better use of it, with a light grey lining specifically chosen to reflect the light and help distribute it throughout the bag’s interior.
The LEDs and the lining work together so you can see what you carry inside more clearly and find what you’re looking for faster. Because the keys were already there. What was missing was seeing them.
More time to think about what’s ahead.
After this whole journey, in our day-to-day lives we’re Dani and Lluís again, just as when we started. But we’re not going back to where we began: we’re taking everything we’ve learned along the way with us.
This new way of working allows us to devote more time to what we want our everyday lives to focus on: designing new products, testing ideas, nurturing the brand, and being closer to our customers.
We still have plenty to do and quite a few ideas in our heads. BABAU is changing because we want it to keep growing without ever ceasing to be BABAU.