Japanese brand Sanrio — purveyor of all things cute and kawaii — has finally tapped into a homegrown Filipino bag brand to collaborate with!
Last December of 2018, Sanrio Wave sent an e-mail to Kat Erro, founder and chief executive officer of Katre, a local brand known for their line of fine-quality leather bags. The founder herself is a big fan of Sanrio, so this e-mail which then turned into a newly-released bag collection is both business and personal. Just like other childhoods, hers was filled with memories of going to Gift Gate to buy cute Sanrio items; in fact, her first salary when she worked part-time at a fast food chain back in college was spent on a Hello Kitty messenger bag.
Now, the global brand is supporting Katre, a local brand, for its very first bag collaboration in the Philippines. To work on this limited edition collection, the team of Katre was given the freedom to build the collection based on their brand's aesthetics. The result? Elegantly crafted leather bags with a touch of charm and whimsy, thanks to Hello Kitty's timeless appeal.
The Katre X Hello Kitty Limited Edition Collection features five different bag styles, which come in five different colors. “It was difficult to trim down a collection to something that will actually work for our market especially with Hello Kitty where you can do so much!” Kat explains, “The five handbag designs came from the simple idea that there has to be something for everyone: small to big, work to weekend, casual to dressy. It must be able to relate to a minimalist dresser and to a flamboyant one.”
The Katre X Hello Kitty Limited Edition Collection includes five leather bags: the
Camden Tourist Convertible (handbag-shoulder bag-backpack in one), the double zip Hanover Midi (travel and work companion), the Thames Camera Bag (best-selling medium bag), the all-leather Bumbag 2.0, and the all-new Piccadilly Pint. Prices start at P5,999.
The Katre X Hello Kitty Limited Edition Collection will be available exclusively at the
Katre Glass House pop-up store, 3/F Greenbelt 5 and at shopkatre.com.
