If you thought my penchant for eel skin bags was a tad unusual, wait until you know my ultimate leather of choice when it comes to bags… drum roll… Stingray skin!
Yup, again it’s a marine creature that produces the toughest and most durable leather you can ever find which also happens to be so chic, understated and probably the least underrated of all kinds.
Ever since my first encounter with this beautiful textured leather, I fell in love and was curious if I could find any Asian designer using it in their products. On my first visit to Bali I did at one of the coolest boutiques on the island (will be blogging about it after my second visit in a couple of weeks!) but sadly the clutches I wanted were all sold out and I ended up buying my husband a stingray wallet instead.
But I kept looking and finally my search is over! Malaysian handbag label KLutched seems to have read my mind and I think I finally found my perfect stingray leather bags, just across the border!
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| No kind of leather, in my opinion, comes close to how chic yet understated Stingray skin is. This KLucthed miniaudiere and iphone cover demonstrate that! |
KLutched designs are as exotic as the material they use and instead of going all safe and minimal, they manage to add those little cool details that distinguish their clutches and bags from the rest, giving them an edgy chic feel.
Some of their bags even take the ultimate risk and combine several kinds of different textures, leathers and colours and although it’s tough to make it work, somehow it does.
Before I tell you what’s my favourite piece, let me explain a little thing about stingray leather’s texture; It has a unique feel, very thick and almost like plastic and comes in different types depending on the process it was made (buffed, sanded or not). Due to this look and nature, stingray leather hardly works in shapeless forms and it is almost always made for structured shapes whether it is a belt, wallet or a clutch.
Fortunately KLutched understands this and hence all heir stingray products come in structured defined shapes which work so well with this beautiful texture. I especially love the KO LANTA patchwork clutch in a mix of black, white and grey which would elevate any simple LBD in the style stakes, and the super chic BINTAN geometric miniaudiere with side studs.
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| Love at first sight with this BINTAN studded clutch... |
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| This KO LANTA box clutch is also as beautiful and chic... |
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| KERALA anyone? |
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| Despite the mix of stingray, python and water snake leather, this TO KEO satchel still looks edgy and chic! |
From the rest of the collection, I love the metallic MAKATI bag and the cute BANJARA in white python and gold clasp, as well as the SHINJUKU clutch with studs! As you have probably noticed from the names, KLutched bags are all named after various Asian cities (check out the Beirut one below :-)!) as the brand itself is inspired by Asia’s rich heritage and bustling energy. Something I quite like!
While it might not be for everyone, I think Stingray is the rock star of the leather world. Luckily, almost all the bags at Klutched embody that glam rock edge while still remaining chic.
Now off to book a weekend in KL so I can go shopping!
KLutched is stocked at What Women Want #02-28 Mandarin Gallery, Orchard road and Robinsons MBS in Singapore and at M Women, The Gardens Mall in Kuala Lumpur.
Some selected styles are also stocked online at Curated Editions and www.minz.com.my
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| Never realized how beautiful python looks in white! this BANJARA miniaudiere is to die for! |
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| Heavy metal anyone? Love this super glam MAKATI bag! |
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| SHINJUKU with studs... |
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| This tote is named after my hometown city, BEIRUT. Can't but love it especially in this Batik inspired edition! |
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| Hanoi clutch obviously comes with precious stones! The most glam of all pieces... |
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| Again it's the choice of colour and little metallic details which make KLutched pieces stand out! |
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| Another Stingray leather beauty... |