In just five years, the accessories brand has inserted itself into every fashion girl’s wardrobe. How? The power of nostalgia

Binge watching re-runs of SATC and Friends for your day job – sounds like a dream come true, no? Well, that’s the reality for twins Valentina Ignatova and Sabina Gyosheva, as well as their sister-in-law Denitsa Bumbarova, who draw nostalgic inspiration from these iconic shows to inspire their cool-girl accessory brand, BY FAR.

In 2016, the Bulgarian trio tapped into the footwear world when they couldn’t find what they wanted in a pair of shoes; namely sustainability, comfort, a reasonable price tag and – most importantly – a focus on design without losing quality. When their shoes became a runaway success, they tried their hand at bags.

“We create the collections six months in advance and when we launched the bags, every buyer and editor was like, ‘Oh I’m not sure about the ’90s… I’m not sure if the client is ready for that,” Valentina recalls. But it seems we absolutely were ready, as when the Rachel baguette bag – inspired by Friends’  Rachel Green – hit the ’gram, it sold out in two weeks. “It’s better to trust your heart and whatever you’re obsessed with,” Valentina adds.

The cult brand steadily began to make waves in wardrobes across the globe, helped by a fan-base of supermodels including Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, Hailey Bieber and the Hadid sisters, all often spotted wearing the minimalist label, pairing their Amber bags with their gym kits and Uma bags with their slip dresses.

But the buzz extends way past the A-listers who drew all the right attention to this emerging brand. The dynamic designers have cultivated a burgeoning following of women who desire comfort in footwear (a revelation!), and accessories that transcend seasons without sacrificing style. And the brand’s latest offering for S/S21 is no different. If the Barbie-pink flip-flop heels don’t put a spring in your step, then By Far’s take on the soft-bag trend in supple, zingy, lime-green leather – the perfect shape to be tucked under your arm, FYI – certainly will.

BY FAR’s aesthetic is fundamentally effortless; a guaranteed way to up the ante of any outfit, but where it really earns its stripes is its attitude to ethics, with sustainability at the core of the collections. The brand upcycles dead-stock leather from premium factories in Italy, which not only keeps prices on the lower end of the scale, but offers a proactive, ethical stance when it comes to waste.

Just like the classic TV shows that triggered the brand’s inception in the first place, it seems that BY FAR will never go out of fashion.

Photography: Greg Adamski. Styling: Anna Castan. Words: Jade Chilton. Models: Cynthia Abdhulahi and Thanina at MMG Artists. Make-Up: Melanie Meyer at MMG Artists. Hair: Adam Garland. Fashion Assistant: Anusha Hittalmakki. Producer: Johana Dana

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s March 2021 Issue

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