Boshra Bagherpour - Exclusive Belgian leather handbags
In this episode of Our Designers, we meet Boshra Bagherpour, the designer of exclusive leather handbags that evolved from a personal story into a Belgian brand with international ambitions.
Photography: Sigfrid Eggers
Season 1 - Episode 5: Boshra Bagherpour
Boshra was born in Tehran and moved to Belgium with her parents at the age of one as a political refugee. It meant a fresh start in a new country full of opportunities. She remains deeply grateful to her parents for that to this day.
Creativity was always a part of her childhood. Her mother sewed, drew portraits, and was constantly working with fabrics and patterns. Yet as a child, Boshra didn’t immediately see that as her own path. She associated sewing with traditional “women’s work”—something she wanted to distance herself from.
It wasn't until later that she realized just how much of an influence that creative environment had actually been.
A farewell that changed everything
After finishing her studies, Boshra worked for five years as a caregiver for people with physical and mental disabilities. When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, everything changed. She passed away two years later. Boshra was 22 at the time.
She was left with a house full of memories: the sewing machine, the homemade clothes, and the sewing box her mother had always used. She couldn’t bring herself to throw those things away.
“My mother’s sewing machineis actually what got me back into creativity.”
Years later, that sewing machine took on new meaning. What had once been something she had rebelled against became a way for her to feel close to her mother again.
She signed up for a sewing class. Making pajamas and aprons turned out not to be her thing, but during that search she discovered leatherworking. That’s when everything fell into place.
A love of handbags
Handbags have always been her passion. Even as a child, she was always seen walking around with a bag in her hand.
Later, she bought several designer handbags, but she still felt like something was missing. She was always looking for a bag that didn't exist.
So she decided to make it herself.
What started as a hobby quickly turned into something more serious. She developed her first design while studying leatherworking.
Making a handbag is a labor-intensive process. Patterns are first drawn up on paper, then tested on fabric, and only then on leather. The glue must dry, and the edges are sanded and finished with multiple coats.
It is slow, artisanal work. As a result, her bags naturally fall into the luxury segment. Not by design, but because of the materials and the production process.
“I’m always looking for something that doesn’t exist. That’s why I started making it myself.”
From an attic studio to Italian studios
In the beginning, Boshra made every bag entirely by hand in her attic studio. Orders came in through social media and word of mouth.
As demand grew, it became difficult to keep doing everything on her own. Together with her husband, she began looking for manufacturing partners.
Eventually, she found studios in Italy. It turned out to be no easy task. Without a traditional background in fashion, she often had to explain and defend her designs at length.
Yet she remained true to her vision. Today, she works with various studios, while continuing to oversee every detail herself.
Belgian design across the ocean
What started as a bag she made for herself grew into a brand with multiple retail locations and its own online store.
Meanwhile, there is also interest from abroad, including from the United States. According to Boshra, this is due to the strong reputation of Belgian design.
Timelessness and functionality are at the heart of her designs. Every detail is carefully considered, from strap length to material selection. She takes customer feedback into account, but her own signature style always takes precedence.
For now, she handles communications and marketing together with her husband. Articles in publications such as Sabato have helped raise her profile.
Work ethic as a foundation
The work ethic her mother instilled in her still forms the foundation of her entrepreneurship.
Work hard. Be independent. Keep going.
That’s also the advice she gives to young designers: just go for it and keep following your own path.
“You don’t make ahandbag in a single day. It’s a process that requires patience, testing, and constant refinement.”
What does the future hold?
Boshra has more than enough ideas. She dreams of designing a backpack, a travel bag, and maybe even a men’s line.
Her head is constantly filled with new designs.
What began with an old sewing box and a sewing machine has grown into a Belgian handbag brand with international ambitions.
And the story is far from over.
Boshra Bagherpour - Our Designers
