LOCAL BAG brand Katre has unveiled its newest collection in collaboration with Sanrio’s mascot Hello Kitty, a launch that was more than a year in the making.

“Sanrio is always keen to support local brands and Katre is definitely one of the representatives. Katre is our first bag collaboration in the Philippines because we admire their dedication to leather and quality. The craftsmanship and passion made Katre became a sought-after leather goods brand and we hope our collaboration will bring excitement to both our fans,” Sanrio said in a statement.

Kat Erro, founder and CEO of Katre, said during the launch on Feb. 28 at their pop-up space in Greenbelt 5, Makati City, that the collection features the classic Katre silhouettes and, of course, Hello Kitty.

“They did not limit us or force us to go kawaii (‘cute’ in Japanese). When they did give suggestions, it was very considerate to Katre as a brand. We were able to keep our identity and learn from the process. Of course, they were very specific when it came to ribbon details, proper placement, and character colors,” Ms. Erro said in the release.

Ms. Erro said the communication was initially sent in December 2018 via Instagram and was sent by Sanrio Wave, Sanrio’s Asia Pacific subsidiary.

In 2019, the Sanrio mascot celebrated her 45th anniversary.

The collection includes five leather bags: the Camden tourist convertible (P14,500), the Hanover Midi (P13,999), the Thames camera bag (P10,500), the Picadilly print (P6,500), and the Bumbag 2.0 (P5,999).

Each bag features the Sanrio cat in different forms: from the simple signature Hello Kitty ribbon to its face on the bag. It also comes in various colors: black, red, off-white (or oat), and yellow.

“The collection is limited and until supplies last because we only have about 10 to 20 pieces per bag, per color,” Ms. Erro said during the launch.

The Katre x Hello Kitty collection is available at the Katre Glass House Pop-Up Store at the 3/F Greenbelt 5 and at shopkatre.com. — Zsarlene B. Chua

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