The Jamaican crocus bag has long been associated with agriculture and the rough work of transporting produce, but fashion designer Saffron Maxwell is giving the humble material a new identity, turning it into elegant, handcrafted statement pieces.

Maxwell, founder and creative director of her namesake brand, has built her designs around Jamaican culture and heritage, using crocus-bag material to create bags for the resort and lifestyle markets.

“It’s just transforming these pieces that have been a part of our culture for so long and turning them into things that, you would say, are… elegant pieces that you can have,” Maxwell told the Jamaica Observer.

That vision has also meant learning to trust her own creative direction despite being told that fashion was not the safest career choice. Once on track to study medicine, Maxwell took 10 science subjects in high school while pursuing fashion from as early as age 14. By her final year, she had decided that fashion was what she truly wanted to pursue, a choice that drew doubts from people she respected, including a church member who said she was making a mistake.

The Halo bag, a yellow burlap bag design finished with pearls, is the top seller in Saffron Maxwell’s collection.

“I can say my parents did support me, but… I remember one of my church elders came to me and said that I was making a mistake. I was going to ruin my life. I was going to end up working a sweatshop. I shouldn’t switch from medicine to do fashion. I won’t make any money,” she recalled.

While the comments bothered her, the support she received from those closest to her helped her continue pursuing fashion. Maxwell went on to study Apparel Design, Production and Management at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTECH) and graduated at the top of her class. But building a career in fashion would require more than formal training.

A fringed crocus-bag tote from Saffron Maxwell’s collection, showcasing the designer’s use of natural fibres and handcrafted detailing.

For Maxwell, one of the biggest challenges has been developing her identity as a designer in Jamaica and standing by her creative vision.

A close-up shows the texture of the crocus-bag material and Jamaican-inspired detailing incorporated into one of Maxwell’s designs.

“People don’t have that much respect for fashion, you know; the majority of people don’t. And it’s just standing firm in what you believe in your designs, and so forth, regardless of what people say, or people think, or what they call you,” she shared.

That conviction proved important as Maxwell began building the brand. Saffron Maxwell officially launched in July 2024. Her first products were bags made from crocus-bag material and canvas tote bags, which she showcased at Christmas in July that year.

A natural crocus-bag tote featuring Jamaican-inspired detailing and a handcrafted finish.

Christmas in July is an annual trade show organised by the Tourism Linkages Network and its partners to connect Jamaican producers of locally made gift and souvenir items with buyers from the tourism sector, corporate Jamaica and other markets.

The first bag came about after her mother needed a bag for an event, but the response to the design soon showed Maxwell that there was a market for the concept. Customers at Christmas in July asked about other styles, prompting her to develop additional designs based on their requests. Today, the collection has about seven styles and variations, with the Halo, a yellow burlap bag finished with pearls, emerging as the top seller.

A red crocus-bag design from Saffron Maxwell’s collection, one of several styles developed as the brand expanded beyond its original designs.

“It’s a bag that carries culture and craftsmanship that you can carry with you. It makes a statement,” she told the Sunday Finance.

The bags are now stocked at Tryall Club in Montego Bay and Locale, a boutique in Kingston, after Maxwell approached store owners and presented her products directly. Her next step is to expand the number of outlets carrying the brand while introducing more styles and customisation options. She is also working towards launching a website while exploring opportunities to export the products. Maxwell said exporting has become more difficult, but she is currently working with DHL to establish an account aimed at simplifying the process. For Maxwell, the next phase is about taking that distinctly Jamaican identity into export markets and growing the brand beyond Jamaica.