Meet Marcos Mafia
founder of Mafia Bags![]()
On April 18th, Rare Device unveiled their newest pop-up collaboration with San Francisco's very own, Mafia Bags. The opening reception for Mafia Craft: The Craft & Care Behind the Conception of MAFIA Bags was a busy night filled with friends of both businesses. The pop-up showcased select styles of Mafia bags and a display featuring a behind the scenes including raw materials, sketches, and tools used in designing a Mafia bag.
We were lucky enough to grab Marcos for a few questions about the history of Mafia Bags and what goes into his upcycling business.
Can you share with us the origin story of Mafia Bags? Please share its conception in Buenos Aires in 2012, how/why you chose sails to up-cycle, to finding its headquarters in San Francisco?
I was born and raised in Argentina and spent my teenage years there as a professional kitesurfer. During these years most of my life was about being in the water with friends surrounded by sails that would give us so much joy. Once these sails would get worn, they would end up in a garage or a storage space until they die. At the same time, I was sponsored by clothing, wetsuits and bag brands where I learned about their business and the sewing world. We started Mafia as a way to combine these two worlds. From the very beginning Mafia has been pretty much the opposite of the surf brands: we work with upcycled materials, we produce locally and we offer a lifetime warranty. This business model was developed together with my sister and partner, Paz, who is an engineer.
Why did the expansion to Japan make the most sense for the brand? Is it simply a second location for Mafia Bags? What is the extent of the operations there?
We met our partners in Japan at a trade show back in 2016. It is not something that we really planned but the Japanese market really likes products made in California and one of a kind goods. We happen to have both qualities. We have distribution and licensing in Japan. We sell our Mafia line and we produce in Osaka the collection we sell with Patagonia in Japan. During all these years, we met some great friends and found inspiration on all our trips there.
How are your materials sourced?
Most of our materials come from donations, primarily from California but also from people all over the world. Sailors, surfers, and nature lovers who hear about what we do are always excited to have an alternative to throwing their old sails, climbing ropes and wetsuits into landfills. There’s something special about knowing that each product we make carries a story.
What other products besides bags have you made out of sails? Have you ventured to use other up-cycled materials besides sails?
So many things! Right now, we’re making hats. We’ve also made curtains, lampshades, canopies, art installations - even a custom tent for a friend’s truck camper. We love the challenge of taking a material that people think is trash and reimagining it into something entirely new.
Over the years, we also worked with climbing ropes, old Patagonia jackets, used shoes, recycled cotton, vinyl banners and more.
Can you walk us through the creative process of designing a new bag style and how the materials are used as inspiration?
I always have a sketchbook with me, so I'm always drawing out ideas and concepts. Then I bring those sketches into the studio, share them with the team, and we figure out how to make them a reality. Sometimes, the inspiration comes from a specific sail that’s donated - something about its color, texture, or history sparks an idea. Other times, it’s purely functional - I think about something I wish I had for myself, and we set out to create it.
Mafia Bags has been around for 13 years. How has the landscape changed for small businesses in San Francisco during your time of operation? How have the communities you’ve been a part of supported your business?
San Francisco has been a great place to launch new ideas. We always felt welcomed in an incredible way. It is a city where people care about products and ideas more than important names and fancy backgrounds. It is a very unique place next to the ocean where the future is being designed.
Marcos Mafia and Rare Device owner, Marine Malta
Is there a dream collaboration with a brand that you’d pursue and what would that look like?
At its core, Mafia has always been about collaboration - designing and making with friends. Our studio is a space for creative partnerships, and we love teaming up with people who share our vision. It’s hard to name just one dream collaboration because some of our best projects have come from unexpected connections. You never know what’s going to happen, but in the end, some of those surprise collaborations become all-time favorites.
On the website, it states that “Mafia began as a pursuit to find the ultimate bag to carry our wetsuits around the globe.” Have you designed the ultimate bag yet? What was your favorite bag to design?
Hopefully the ultimate bag is the one we are about to finish. That is the ideal, where we are working on something that will make us very proud. I don't think I have a favorite bag to design. As we work with different people, our aesthetic approach evolves as well as our carrying needs. Everything is in constant movement.
What’s next for Mafia Bags in 2025?
We’ve got a few things in the works. We are launching a new collection with a friend of mine which includes a clothing line made in Japan, along with a new website where everything we will sell will have a custom tag added to the products. We will also have some exciting pop-ups and continue to develop our bag line based on sails we manage to find.
MAFIA CRAFT will be in the Rare Device gallery until June 1st. A small collection is also available online.
Stay tuned for a future collaboration with Mafia x Rare Device!