SS11 Preview & Chinese Knotting with Katherine Kwei

Awhile back, we were invited to what was perhaps the cutest press event ever. We had the pleasure of meeting Katherine Kwei and previewing her spring collection of handbags at her breathtaking apartment and studio space in Soho.
Katherine Kwei is incredibly friendly and personable. Talking to her almost feels like talking to an old friend. It was really fun to hear about the start of her four year old line.

Back in the day she worked at Louis Vuitton. She always loved accessories, and one day she decided to pursue accessories design by going to school in London. While working in her thesis she remembered traditional knotting from her grandmother and incorporated it into her designs. Her initial prototype at the factories took something like 20+ hours; it may have taken even longer but I'm not the best with numbers.
What Erin and I really admire and love about Katherine Kwei is the way she tastefully incorporates her Chinese heritage into her work - the red lining inside her handbags, decor in her home/studio, and catering the event with dim sum from Chinatown Brasserie.
One of the highlights of the night was the lesson in Chinese knotting. We were each given a chance to make our own keychain, and wow, let me just say that it was incredibly humbling. Erin, being the craftster that she is, managed to learn multiple knots in the time it took me to create one charm.
Katherine Kwei's home and studio was truly amazing, and being surrounded by beautiful handbags, I felt like I was in heaven. The spring 2011 collection is quite extensive. There are slouchy hobos, structured totes, convertible bags, mini crossbodies, and of course adorable clutches in a variety of colors from calm nudes and tans to vibrant oranges and teals.
I tend to gravitate towards more structured bags, so the "Kate" bags are currently at the top of my spring wishlist. I loved the shape and the embossed, bubbled leather.
The snakeskin "clea" clutches and accessories also caught my eye with their unique shine and color.
And in my humble opinion, spring isn't spring without some bright, playful colors. For spring, Katherine Kwei has updated her signature Donna style with some hand dyed leathers.