Maria Cadena

Founder, Ceibo

Houston

Ceibo is a handbag-accessory vegan brand created by Maria Cadena in Houston, Texas in 2016. Its name refers to the Ceibo tree, one of Maria’s favorite trees which grows along the Pacific coast in Ecuador.

Maria is a self-taught designer from Guayaquil, Ecuador who moved to Houston during 2014. She has a major on Marketing and Economics and started designing women accessories nine years ago when she created her first brand back home.

All products are designed and handmade by Maria at her home studio in Houston, dedicating several hours in designing, cutting, sewing and assembling each Ceibo item. This results in the production of small batches per month. For example, a mini circle bag can take up to three hours and 30 minutes from cutting to final assembling. This ‘slow approach’ encourages taking time to ensure quality production and gives a personal value to each product.

Ceibo is an animal friendly brand. No animal-based materials are used in the manufacturing of any product. We are constantly looking for new and better materials, not just vegan but also eco-friendly. We are currently working with an innovative natural textile made from pineapple leaves (Piñatex) 100% eco-friendly, sustainably-source and cruelty free.