/ K E A R /
How has the brand started?
KEAR was founded in 2016 by Panisa Sidasamuth,
A Bangkok born designer who at that time lived in a small apartment in Bondi Beach, Sydney. The inspiration for the KEAR bag came from Panisa’s travels. She was amazed by the quality of the craftsmanship of the humble local manufacturers during her family visit in Thailand. "I love how they are able to turn traditional raw materials into great objects. I felt sorry that many people consider these traditional crafts as old fashioned. I thought, well... Let’s see, how would traditional Asian crafts look with a contemporary design spin. How about if these traditional artisans would collaborate on a contemporary fashion object for a modern urban woman?"
It took us a while to get from the idea to the actual real model of the bag. We went through lots of sketches, dozens of pre-production prototypes and many failed production attempts until the current Bano bag was born.
"We believe, that traditional raw material used commonly by people from the countryside can become a fashion statement of a modern woman. Rattan has been used in Southeast Asia for ages by local farmers to make baskets, and also by furniture producers and craftsmen. We combine it with the fine European leather to bring into your city lifestyle a touch of nature. Our sense of value is not defined by the latest trends but by the beautiful stories behind our bags. Every item is a fragment of your own personal style. At KEAR we believe that a great design should go hand-in-hand with sustainability and that’s why we are very proud of the relationships we’ve built with the people who make the bag for you with us. We always make sure that everyone receives a fair share from each KEAR product you buy. You will look good and you can also feel good"
"We aim to support communities and preserve traditional craft.
We believe that carefully designed, selected handmade items help us to connect with our traditions."