While travelling in Tuscany, Casey Languillion stumbled upon a small, family-run company based in Montecatini producing unique washable paper bread bags. Inspired by these soft yet resilient creations, Casey now works with the Marconi family to bring washable paper designs to Australia.

Uashmama (pronounced ‘wash mama’) makes a range of bags and sacks that look and feel like leather, but are crafted from paper and wash with ease. These clever products are made using a cultivated virgin fibre – that does not contribute to deforestation – which is stretched and tanned like leather, but washes like fabric so that it can be re-used. Uashmama employs a group of Italian men and women to sew the paper bags from home, fusing traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. The brand now creates washable paper lunch bags, totes, aprons, purses and travel bags, which are available in a treasure trove of vibrant, natural and metallic hues. Campos in Fortitude Valley has taken to cradling its sugar sashays in the most petite of sacks, while you can find them on the shelves at Julia’s Pantry and Biome. Use the sacks to cover pot plants, as a tabletop salt pig or fruit bowl, or to simply say no to that daily paper bag when toting home fresh bread.

Casey grew up in Noosa, before moving to Brisbane and Sydney to work in television. She now runs Uashmama and has opened her first shop, Objet Trouvé, in Bondi.