EN 
ES Story
The evolution of an icon.
The "saddle" bag has conquered runways around the world. But its roots go back to the coffee-growing regions of 19th and
20th century Colombia. Its origin is the Antioquian Carriel.
Carry all
Carriel" comes from the English carry all — to carry everything.
With its distinctive accordion-bellows design, this bag was made for the arrieros — the brave mountain men — on their long journeys through the Andes, when roads were nothing more than trails through the jungle.
More than a practical accessory, the Carriel became a symbol of resilience. Today, the iconic image of Juan Valdez proudly wears his wide-brimmed hat and his Carriel.
While the traditional Carriel features up to 18 compartments, the Bomboná version offers 5 functional pockets for modern life. Once a masculine accessory whose secrets were never revealed to women — today, we have transformed that mystique into a piece of feminine distinction.
"The Carriel is more than a Bag; it is the guardian of our
most precious treasures."
Nariño
The cradle of leather excellence.
In southern Colombia, near the border with Ecuador, lies the region of Nariño. Famous for its premium coffee and world-class leatherwork, Nariño is known as the Little Italy of Colombia for the mastery of its artisans.
Our essence
Three commitments. No exceptions.
01
Made in Colombia.
Every Bomboná piece is made exclusively in Colombia, without exception. From cutting the leather to fastening the last piece of hardware — everything is born and finished on Colombian soil.
02
Artisan families.
We work with independent artisan families who have spent generations preserving century-old Carriel techniques. Every purchase directly sustains their craft and their livelihood.
03
Full-grain leather from Nariño.
We use only full-grain leather — the outermost and most noble layer of bovine leather, sourced from Nariño. It resists wear, develops patina over time, and improves with every year of use.
The artisans
One piece. One pair of hands. Several days.
Every Bomboná Carriel goes through more than forty manual steps before it reaches your hands. Leather selection, cutting, edge finishing, two-needle stitching, hardware setting, conditioning, quality review.
We work mainly with families who are custodians of traditional techniques passed down through generations. Each Carriel is made following time-honoured methods — built to last, and made to be repaired.
The project was born from the encounter of Laura, a Colombian living abroad, and her husband Mao, from Taiwan. Every Bomboná piece is 100% produced in Colombia — from the first cut to the last stitch. The founders also maintain a base in Taipei, Asia, to serve our international community.
The craft
40+ steps. 3 to 5 days. One piece.
No shortcuts, no series production. Each Carriel is a singular object made by a single pair of hands.
01
Leather selection
Only back leather — the densest, most uniform zone of the hide — is selected from Nariño tanneries we know personally.
02
Cutting & shaping
Each pattern is cut by hand. No two cuts are identical — slight variations are the mark of handmade production.
03
Stitching
A combination of two-needle saddle stitching and machine stitching, depending on the section of the piece. Both techniques are used to achieve strength where it matters — every piece is built to last and repairable by any artisan.
04
Hardware & finish
Forged gold hardware is set by hand. Edges are burnished, leather is conditioned, and every piece passes a final quality review.
The material
Full-grain leather. Not corrected. Not compromised.
We use exclusively full-grain leather sourced from bovine hides raised in the highlands of Nariño, at over 2,000 metres above sea level. The cool climate and extensive rearing conditions produce hides with denser, tighter fibres — more resistant, more beautiful over time.
Full-grain leather is the highest quality level that exists. It retains the original surface layer of the hide intact — every natural mark, variation and texture. It is not sanded, not corrected, not coated in synthetic finish.
Our leather is an ethical byproduct of Colombia's cattle farming industry — the hides come from animals raised for food, not for leather. No animal is raised or sacrificed for our bags.
- Full-grain (what we use): Surface intact. Develops a unique patina. Improves for decades.
- Top-grain: Sanded to remove imperfections. More uniform, less durable.
- Corrected / bonded: Synthetic finish over damaged or reconstituted fibres. Peels within years.
