Our Story

We are often asked how LAURACEA came to be - what compelled our founder to create this brand.  Below is the story of our brand, as shared by Tamara Makris, Creative Director and founder of LAURACEA.  

 

I have two daughters who ride horses and the brand really began one August when my girls and I were at the Kentucky Horse Park in anticipation of US Pony Finals. After two weeks there I was really wishing I had a better bag - one that was functional, durable and beautiful - beautiful in design, materials, and craftsmanship.  Anyone who has ever spent any time at a horse show knows that the mornings tend to be cool and dewy and that means that you are mostly likely getting into a wet golf cart and sitting on a towel. Which for me, meant driving around with my purse in my lap because I didn’t want to put my bag down on a seat that had gone from dusty yesterday, to muddy from dew.  And I certainly didn’t want to put my bag down ringside when the girls were riding because the grass was wet, and the footing at the edge of the ring was wet as well. Yet, you’re always carrying something - whether it’s coming from the barn to the ring, or going back to the barn from the ring. Over the course of those two weeks I lost several crops that I either put up against a tree, or put down on a picnic table because they didn’t fit in my bag, and I didn’t always have a pocket.  We lost a favorite stock pin that trip as well and by the time I got home, I was looking for a better bag - one that would better suit that lifestyle of being in and out of barns.

 

I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for but I knew that I didn’t want to carry something that I couldn’t also wear outside of a horse show or barn. I wanted one beautiful, functional, quality bag that could be a travel bag and a “ring” bag, as well as a bag that I could carry anywhere and everywhere.  Yet, I knew that a good ring bag was functionally along the lines of what I needed while at the horse shows. And from that, our Convertible Backpack Tote was born. And that’s why our Convertible Backpack Tote absolutely fits a helmet - and more.  It has a strap for a crop. It comes in waterproof leather. Whether you use it as a carry-on travel bag, or as a ring bag, it was designed to be functional with clips and pockets in all the right places. Our tote bags, particularly our Classic Tote, were designed with the same ethos in mind - function, quality and beauty.  That’s why our Classic Tote has a luggage strap on the back. Because everyone hates it when their bag falls off their carry-on and drags on the ground. The brand, and all of our bags, stem from that same simple idea - creating bags that work better and do more.   Addressing everyday needs and merging function with beauty and quality resonates with people and you can see that the brand was born out of my desire to merge those elements. Those are the pillars that LAURACEA is built upon and that’s really the DNA of our brand.  

And speaking of the story of LAURACEA...

A lot of people ask “where does the name LAURACEA came from?”  People often ask if, or assume that, my name is Laura. My name is Tamara and neither of my daughters are named Laura.  The name LAURACEA was inspired by the regal laurel crowns of ancient Greece and Rome which were most often made of Bay Laurel!