Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 17th May 2022

The URBAG story is defined by a passion for sustainability and innovative design, along with the determination to make a positive impact in the world. Founder Marie Callan has spent decades working in sustainability. From social enterprise and charity work to fostering discussions with industry leaders at the Financial Times, she’s found the plastic problem never goes away. While the issue of single-use plastic was attracting attention, no one seemed to be addressing plastic waste from fashion aftercare services. It’s this passion, experience and conversations with industry experts that led Marie to do something positive. The result? An ethically-manufactured suit carrier bag that’s forward thinking, superbly made and lasts a lifetime.

In a recent episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interviewed Marie Callan, Founder of URBAG about her career and the founding story of her sustainable brand which has an aim to combat single use plastics used by dry cleaning companies. Peter Brooker and Marie talked about plastic waste, developing a prototype, supplier relations, startup funding, and changing industry habits.

“I created a bag to tackle single use plastic in the fashion aftercare industry. So, namely dry cleaning and laundry services. And to do so, I have designed a duffel and garment bag combo. The bag allows customers to use only one bag to drop off, collect, and store their clothes from the dry cleaner. The bag was designed to address the unnecessary use of plastic. That's something that's always been driving me crazy. I just thought something else needed to exist, especially in the age of innovation and climate change. Why on earth were we still using plastic in dry cleaning? And that's how URBAG was born, to be a solution focused product that combines style, function, and sustainable fabric.”

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 175 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with Marie Callan, Founder of urbagofficial.com. You can listen to the full version on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player.

We discuss Dry Cleaning, Single Use Plastic, and Fashion Sustainability with Marie Callan of URBAG.