Another hot young artist joins Kiana Valenciano, overall style curator and creative team captain of a special, bespoke, Save My Bag collection in the name of Ken Samudio, internationally acclaimed accessory designer.
Samudio caught the attention of the principals of Little White Box, local purveyors of Save My Bag (which are 100 percent made in Bergamo, Italy). They introduced him to Valenciano. Intensive creative and artistic meetings then took place, resulting in a series of bags that are sure to delight and catch the fancy of bag and accessory aficionados.
The story behind Samudio’s entry into the glamorous world of fashion is one that is immediately fascinating.
It’s worth noting that he is a marine biologist by profession.
It was while still involved in the study of undersea creatures and marine life that he began dabbling into accessories design, although at that time he saw it as nothing more than a hobby and a diversion.
And, despite having no formal training in fashion, armed only with raw natural talent, the drive to excel, and the help of no less than global style icon Josie Natori who took him under her wing, he was soon able to earn a string of accolades, among which were the Selection by Vogue Italia as one of the Vogue Talents for Accessories in 2014 and the inclusion to their 50th Anniversary Issue.
The British Fashion Council and Sarah Mower of Vogue US, on two occasions, personally handpicked him to participate in IFS 2014 and 2015 at the London Fashion Week respectively.
For his latest endeavor, Ken makes use of his distinctive technique to transform the bags, exploring the organic, almost alien forms found in nature, mimicking ‘reef-life’ and floral textures and thereby achieving a highly tactile feel, by using acrylic beads and indigenous and recycled materials endemic to the country. Thus, the resultant pieces possess color and depth, redolent of the earth’s unusual hues.
“My work is evidently inspired by the wonders of nature,” Samudio relates. “There’s simply so much beauty to be found there!”
So for those seeking to get a piece of Ken’s mesmerizing artistry, this time in the form of bespoke Save My Bags, should head on over to the Little White Box Pop-Up store, the style portal for international brands, located at the 3/F, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.