getting started
Colombian-born designer Paola Buendia and her husband, Mark Donovan, founded wooden ships in 1992. The couple met as undergraduates at Harvard. Spurred by a four-month trip to Bali, they founded the company two years after graduation.

bali
paola: I went backpacking to see a friend in Borneo…. I was going to "see the world' and basically never left Indonesia. I was blown away by Bali – I had been expecting a touristy place and was only going to pass through… but it turned out to be the most incredible place… people come here to create – to paint, build, write, design jewelry or boats or kites.. whatever. It is very dynamic and insipiring. The locals are so talented but also very grounded and kind. There’s a whole other pace here…. We knew we wanted that to be a permanent part of our lives.

customers
mark: Every piece we make is custom made. We pay tremendous attention to detail. We also don’t build any stock. Because each piece is made to order, we are not wasting time on wrong inventory and we can give our customers incredible turn around times, often just days... We receive so many emails from consumers telling us about a favorite wooden ships piece they have loved almost to bits. I actually keep a file where I save the messages that say "wow”. We want to do a great job for our customers – it is something we focus on with every employee.

comfort food
paola: There is something so comforting about knits – and for me, looking good, is totally connected to feeling comfortable. Plus knits have a slouchiness that makes them immediately casual and that is very much my style... I love fashion but not necessarily the fashion world, so I love that within that, we get to be the "comfort food" – who doesn’t love a snuggly beret and mittens? It’s primal!

wooden ships
mark: we are asked all the time about the name… yes, we do love Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and that particular song. We were also inspired by the idea of old trading ships bringing goods from other lands... Our brand has spread mostly through word of mouth. We are now sold nationwide, and have a growing presence in the UK and parts of Europe and Japan.

wooden ships regularly appears in Lucky, Glamour, In Style, Accessories Magazine, Teen, GL, and Seventeen. Retailers can come see us at our showroom in New York City or at trade shows throughout the year.

family
Today, Paola and Mark live in Bali where they design and manufacture their collection. Sons Lucas, Julian and Henry are already pushing the company to add kidswear…