House Guest: Yasmin Sabet

‘I see colour everywhere,’ says Yasmin Sabet, founder of hand-crafted homeware and accessories label Mola Sasa, ‘it’s very powerful - it awakens different emotions, it all depends on how we use it.’ Born in the US to a Colombian mother and Egyptian father, Yasmin has had an itinerant life, globetrotting between Bogotá, Miami, Switzerland, Moscow, London and Madrid. Now settled in Bogotá she says her colourful brand was ‘born out of the blue’. 

Working with a collective of Colombian women artisans, she crafts her range of accessories and homewares in the traditional native Kuna textiles she grew up with. ‘I’m a very visual person,’ says Yasmin, I’ve been inspired in my life by everything I’ve been exposed to: trips, different cultures, traditions, museums, textiles.’ Her vision perfectly aligns with the Wicklewood philosophy - making Mola Sasa the perfect label to collaborate with in a collection of bags and cushions. Ahead of our launch, we sat down with Yasmin on our virtual sofa to catch up on colour, inspirations and creativity...

WW: Have you always been creative?

YS: I’ve always loved the arts, painting and making things. I studied Russian and Political Sciences and then went to the Architectural Association in London and realised that my path was creative. I did a couple of remodeling projects and then when I was living in Madrid I started to design furniture, which is really how the story begins. When I moved back to Colombia I worked on a project with Artesanias de Colombia called Diseño Colombia where designers work with local artisanal techniques and materials. For one of my early projects I created a bench upholstered in the same technique used to fashion coffee pickers’ distinctive sombrero volteado’ hat.

WW: How did Mola Sasa start?

YS: It wasn’t my intention to start a business - it happened and has grown organically since day one. I’ve always loved the Kuna textiles - I grew up seeing them used for cushions in my grandparents’ house. One day, I was shopping in a popular downtown market in Bogotá for Kuna textiles to make curtains for my bedroom. The idea of making clutches came about in the evening when I was looking at my bounty with a friend. We organised a Trunk show together during the Holiday season and it was a success - it all worked out well from there!

WW: What’s your favourite part of your home? And why?

YS: My bedroom is luminous as it gets all the afternoon sun and it overlooks our terrace full of plants. I also love the children’s area - it has their artwork hanging and funny things they’ve written all over the walls - an x-ray of their childhood. It’s messy and eccentric - there are no rules.

WW: Which are your favourite WW pieces?

YS: The Nahulas are stunning - so elegant and elaborate, I love the colours - I’m definitely an ochre and blue person. I also love the Caballo cushions - the beautiful, rich textile with the playful element of the horses. And of course, the Jaspe cushions which have that ethnic feel to them. And I love the green/blue tote and the red Puruwat Jaspe clutch from our collaboration.

WW: Your dream Wicklewood X MS cushion combination? 

YS: I love the Palopo Puruwat in both colors, which I would combine with the Nahula.