Our Story

Brand Intro

Welcome to Isla de Gar. A place of joy, togetherness, warmth and beauty. 

Bringing together a love of organic forms with a desire to create low waste, slow fashion, Isla de Gar creates sculptural, tactile, wearable works of art. 

Each piece is handmade to order in London by a team of designers and makers. That’s why when you receive your bag, you’ll see it signed by one of us - a fingerprint of the work and love that has gone into making it. 

We champion craftsmanship, individuality, longevity and excellent design to create products that are beautiful and don’t cost the earth. At Isla de Gar we want to show you that slow fashion is worth the wait. 



Our Story

Isla de Gar began life under another name. It all started when Founder and Creative Director, Emma Garner, found herself on furlough and living back at her parent’s house during the pandemic. With all the time in the world, she returned to what she had always loved - making. 

Having spent a few years working as a handbag designer for both high end and highstreet retailers, she returned to her roots as a textiles student and began to experiment with 3D surfaces and sculpture. Finding inspiration in the natural world around her, slowly, over months, intricately crocheted bags took shape and the Hive was born. 

Although the first design took months to perfect, the ethos and identity behind the brand came all at once. Emma knew that, whatever she made, she wanted to create something that was joyful, beautiful and would stand the test of time. 

Originally named Isla Risa, literally translating to Island of Laughter, the goal was to transport the wearer to their own little paradise, where art is to be worn and happiness is infinite. 

So when, in 2023, we were forced to change our name by a fast fashion, multinational corporation we were left feeling pretty devastated and totally overwhelmed. But, ever resilient, we got to work and, after much deliberation, some really weird suggestions and lots of well intentioned but badly executed ideas, we found our new name. 

Isla de Gar was born and one year on, we realise it's not all about the name, it's all about what you do. So although our name might have changed, our mission has not. 

Since the Hive was first created back in 2020, the range has expanded and now we have 8 styles, numerous fabrics and hair accessories too. The team has also grown, and we’ve moved to East London. We’ve been stocked across the globe, from New York to New Zealand, and throughout it all the essence of the brand has remained. 

We hope every time you put on your bag, or catch a glimpse of your scrunchie in the mirror, you’ll find your own Isla de Gar. 

The Bags/The Designer:

I’m obsessed with bringing something new into the world, amazing people and inspiring them through my work. My aim is to create something that didn’t already exist, I’ve always strived to think laterally, and to grow an elevated, mid-luxury brand through using more luxurious fabrics and trims like ribbon and cord, that haven’t been used in crochet to this capacity. 

Taking inspiration from architecture and sculptures, the bags are structured and stand on their own, holding form brings a premium feel. We focus on minimal hardware, less fuss - the straps aren’t adjustable to avoid unnecessary hooks and O rings, yet we offer different sizes. Using as little joining methods/stitching as possible - this has always been the focus throughout my work. There’s so much beauty in linking, overlapping and making connections through the art of crochet, especially when paired with the sleek leather straps - Emma Garner, Founder and Creative Director