Cleobella is a California-based lifestyle and fashion brand blending luxury aesthetics with slow fashion values, ethical production, and a distinct wanderlust spirit. Best known for their bohemian dresses, artisanal leather bags, jewelry, and accessories, each piece is hand-crafted by skilled artisans, ensuring sustainability, cultural preservation, and truly unique designs. The label is a certified B Corp, recognized worldwide for its conscious creation and celebration of female empowerment and global discovery.
How Does It Work?
- Artisan Collaboration: All Cleobella products are ethically handmade, predominantly in Bali, India, and Morocco, in partnership with generational artisan families. The brand prioritizes fair wages, sustainable practice, and zero-waste project pilots—producing collections with 100% organic or natural fibers and low-impact production techniques.
- Globally Inspired Design: Each season’s collection begins with creative director and co-founder Angela O’Brien’s travel journals and deep appreciation for multicultural artistry. Woodblock print dresses (like the Magdalena), signature hand-tooled handbags (such as the Mexicana clutch), and delicate eyelet and embroidery work reflect their core ethos in everything.
“With every new design, we start with global inspiration and our Cleobella woman as our muse,” says O’Brien. “My love for one-of-a-kind sustainable textiles was born and has grown into the foundation of what Cleobella is today.”
Origin Story & Founders
Founded in 2006 by Angela O’Brien and her husband Jim O’Brien (after a year-long global adventure through Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia), Cleobella was born from the couple’s desire to honor the artisans and cultures they encountered. What began with recycled sari wrap skirts and hand-tooled clutch bags at the Maui farmers’ market blossomed into an internationally recognized lifestyle line. They split their time between Seal Beach, California, and Bali, continually seeking inspiration, deepening artisan partnerships, and raising their family with the same spirit of adventure.
At the end of our trip, I could see Cleobella sparkling on the horizon. The vision was to offer globally inspired products that uplift the cultures and traditions of the artisans creating them.
Funding Raised to Date
While Cleobella has grown primarily through organic reinvestment and strategic wholesale, key milestones include:
- Bootstrapping from inception and leveraging strong DTC e-commerce momentum, artisan partnerships, and high-profile media features.
- Cleobella has not announced large venture funding rounds—remaining family owned and operated by original founders Angela & Jim O’Brien.
The brand’s emphasis on independence allows for tight supply chain control, responsible growth, and authentic storytelling.
Benefits for Consumers
- Slow Fashion Luxury: Timeless hand-crafted pieces—dresses, tunics, clutches, and jewelry—that blend California ease with global elegance and let customers invest in fewer, higher-quality goods.
- Conscious Shopping: Each purchase supports artisan communities and pushes the industry toward sustainable, transparent value chains.
- Personal Touch: From signature Mexicana bags to made-to-order elements, buyers receive truly unique, limited editions grounded in soulful design.
We offer the modern woman a way to express herself through well-made, ethical, and beautiful designs, helping her tell a story of personal style and mindful consumption.
Timeline & Milestones
- 2006: Brand founded, inspired by Angela and Jim’s year of global travels; first collection debuts in Southern California.
- 2008: Growth via DTC, artisan partnerships, and expansion of product lines to include jewelry and ready-to-wear.
- Cleobella achieves B Corp certification, deepening sustainability commitment and global supply chain transparency.
- Celebrates international visibility, robust US wholesale growth, and launches acclaimed eco-collections.
- Cleobella drives new zero-waste pilots, launches collaborative drops with creatives and influencers, and opens new pop-ups in California and abroad.
Future Outlook
Heading into the next era, Cleobella is positioned to continue:
- Expanding global artisan partnerships and launching regenerative projects for fiber and production.
- Growing its direct-to-consumer and retail presence in select cities while keeping handcrafted authenticity at the forefront.
- Leading fashion’s slow revolution, using every new collection and collaboration to champion sustainability, women’s empowerment, and a love of worldly craft.
