Kalkidan Gebreyohannes, the Oakland based designer behind the brand KALU, has amalgamated into one package a handbag that checks all the boxes, the Elle bag.
The Elle bag is effortless in appearance but born from hard work, trial and error, and sheer determination. To say this is the IT-bag of the season is a cliche that doesn’t pay justice to a piece that is so much more. All at once, and without trying too hard, the Elle is badass, with a detachable chain strap, yet glam. A little bit country with it’s pony hair fabric, yet rock-and-roll with gunmetal hardware. Sleek and minimalist with a touch of boho tassels. Coachella Valley was the perfect location to feature this classy and laid back piece.
Kalkidan whose friends call her Kalu, is a mother of 3 with roots in Ethiopia, Canada, and Southern California. (We’re lucky she calls Oakland home). A self taught entrepreneur armed with a background in clothing design and retail, Kalu turned her focus to designing handbags after realizing the absence of mainstream bags on the market by black designers. Hello!
Rather than being pigeon holed, Kalu resisted industry pressure to ethnicize the design of her product to create the Elle bag for the masses.
I met Kalu through our mutual acquaintance, Sherri McMullen of McMullen Boutique in nearby Piedmont. Sherri, a community builder with global connections in the fashion industry, facilitated the partnership between Farfetch and Maki Oh. Additionally, using Instagram as one of her tools, McMullen established the American home of the Maki Oh collection. Therefore, it was natural that Kalu reached out to me via the same medium.
After a brief Instagram exchange (each making sure the other wasn’t a serial killer), Kalu and I scheduled a meet up, which lead to a collaboration*.
Kalu, a former ballerina, exudes the physical presence that only a dancer can. It didn’t hurt that she toted a structured bag from her Elevate line paired with a vintage hot pink coat. Direct in her demeanor,yet warm in her greeting, Kalu spoke of her goals and vision for her collection with confident rapid-fire precision. Yet her story flowed organically, unlike a canned sales pitch. A force of nature, yet grounded in her connection to the environment around her. (Simultaneously preparing to launch her next collection while planning her next community initiative!). Little did I know these first impressions were interwoven into the fabric of the Elle bag.
The aptly named Elle bag, french for “her”, is Kalu’s bag AND it’s every woman’s bag.
*You can find the Elle bag and the full collection online at www.bykalu.com. Also comes in brown and pony print. Be sure to check out my Instagram Palm Springs travel diary featuring my collaboration with Kalu.
Shot on location at The Riviera Palm Springs Resort, Palm Springs Art Museum, and Thermal, CA in the Coachella Valley. Links to shop my outfit are below.
XoXO
Kairee Tann
Like this feature? Be sure to check out more Ten Key Pieces collaborations (click here)
Links to Shop My outfit:
Everlane Ribbed Wool Cashmere Sleeveless Turtleneck (On Sale at Choose What You Pay!)
Everlane Modern Slide Sandal (Also on Sale!)
