About Us

Inspired by her love for Mexico and her passion for crocheting Iwona Szabla created POLA.

POLA (Polish girl) is a 100% Mexican brand of hand crafted crochet bags & accessories. Iwona learned how to crochet in Poland as a teenager from her aunt but then stopped knitting for many years and pursued a career in accounting.

Then, after living in Tulum, she took a crocheting workshop and her passion returned! Iwona started designing and crocheting her own bags.

Soon after the pandemic, she decided to leave her accounting and administrative job and pursue crocheting full time. Iwona hired local women from Tulum and Valladolid to help her produce more bags until her dream became a reality and she opened POLA, the retail store in October 2020 on the south end of the incredibly scenic Tulum Beach Road.

Now, in our beautiful boutique you can find amazing hand bags, jewelry, clothes, sandals and hats which are made by lwona herself as well as by local artists and designers.

Iwona is proud to blend her Polish background with her 10 years of residency in Mexico. And it was important to her to create a brand that teaches and employs Yucatec women and use local fabrics to empower the local community.