Clutch play: YStyle talks shop with Fiona Kotur
MANILA, Philippines — Designer Fiona Kotur is a modern-day renaissance woman. Splitting her time between New York and Hong Kong, raising four sons with her loving husband, side-by-side with growing an empire built on beautifully designed shoes and accessories — YStyle investigates. Can one really have it all? The designer held an exclusive trunk show last July 24, at the Blue Carreon Home boutique in Century City Mall. Hosted by longtime friend Blue Carreon, the display featured the newly-minted Kotur shoe and handbag collection for the upcoming season.
The designer started her handbag business in 2004 with a focused line of minaudieres. In a time of oversized leather “It” Bags dominating the market — from Mulberry’s Bayswater tote to the Balenciaga Lariat bag — Kotur’s collection of clutches fabricated in exquisite oriental brocades stood out from the pack. Spurred on by industrial connections in Asia and her cultivated expertise in bag design (with roots in Ralph Lauren and The Gap Inc.), Fiona Kotur’s debut collection was immediately picked up by retail heavyweights Bergdorf Goodman in New York and Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong. And the rest, as they say, is history.
From fashion icon Tilda Swinton to Hollywood heavyweight Jennifer Lawrence, Kotur is considered a red carpet favorite. With staggering editorial coverage in the United States, Europe and Asia, the bag brand is burgeoning into a global presence with astonishing reach. From the importance of Hollywood red carpet appearances, editorial coverage and the future of online retailing, YStyle sits down with the designer and talks shop.
YSTYLE: From Hong Kong, New York, and in the near future, Manila, who is the typical Kotur customer?
Fiona Kotur: Kotur shoes and bags are designed for the Kotur woman, one who appreciates craft, design and a point of view that sees fashion as something beyond trend or fad and instead as a chance to make a statement, to show character and confidence and to revel in beautifully made design.
From editorial coverage to Kotur’s myriad of Hollywood muses, how much would you say is the impact of media mileage (be it editorial, red carpet or what have you) on the brand’s success?
It is invaluable to have great editorial and celebrity coverage and it is always humbling and exciting to see Kotur product in print and on the red carpet. A magazine’s beautiful editorial and shopping pages make our product relatable and covetable. When celebrities carry our bags and shoes, they showcase our product in the best light and it is an honor to have accompanied some great actresses to prestigious events such as the Oscars, Golden Globes and many more.
If there’s anybody else out there who has yet to embrace the Kotur line, who is on your celebrity muse wish list?
The fearless yet classic Cate Blanchett.
Taking cues from the diligent press updates and your highly intuitive e-retail space on www.koturltd.com, can you give us your thoughts on the value of the online side of your business?
Everything is online now and it is the new way of shopping. Our customers are extremely informed and appreciate the immediacy that our online store provides. It is also great for us to have a flexible platform to push our new offers and exclusives, as well as interact with our audience through our blog and social media, which elaborates on the culture of Kotur.
What’s next for Kotur? Between New York and Hong Kong, where do we set our sights for the inevitable Kotur flagship retail space?
We are focusing on our e-shop as we continue to look for retail space in New York, but we will be opening a shop-in-shop in Hong Kong in November.
For a limited time only, Kotur will be available in the Blue Carreon Home boutique in Century City Mall, Makati, from July 25 to 27.
