Bulibasha, meaning Gypsy leader, is a socially driven business based in Bali, Indonesia, that aims to create positive change through engagement with artisans in rural communities. The footwear brand creates unique sandals using natural tropical palm and coconut leaf threads that are skillfully hand woven by multi-generational families in local communities.

Their mission is to create a sustainable income for rural Balinese households, where employment would otherwise be unavailable.

Serbian-born founder, Divna Luna, studied Art and Craft in the Faculty of Applied Art in Belgrade and, upon graduation, got a scholarship to do one academic year in Yogyakarta, Java at the University of Art Indonesia. She went on to explore art and craft around the islands, and now calls Bali home after seven years living there.

“The journey of Bulibasha actually started when I was traveling in Morocco and that’s where I got inspired. I came back to Bali and started my own production with a vision to teach people skills instead of just finding skilled artisans,” she says.

“I’ve been studying art all my life and having skills in weaving was something that was passed on to me through the generations in my family. I invented my own weaving threads and started sourcing natural materials that are strong and durable.

We now count 50+ people in our weaving production and every day we are growing.

The Bulibasha mission is to give new purpose to those who never had the opportunity to go to school or live in good household conditions. We teach them that these things don’t need to define their destiny and with skills in their hands they can become very valuable assets to brands like Bulibasha, and hopefully many others that appreciate handmade, ethical and slow fashion.”

Read more about Bulibasha’s fabulous shoes here.

If you are an artisan or know one who might like to be featured on this site, please send an email to nina@hearth-co.com