NXG
Scales of ambition
Ethan Koh is a fourth-generation descendant of the Singaporean family behind Heng Long Leather—a tannery for exotic skins which supplies some of the world’s top luxury brands. Koh founded Ethan K in 2009 as a maker of vibrant bespoke crocodile skin handbags, which proved popular with royals. He told Alexandra Newlove about capturing the millennial imagination, his most unusual bespoke requests, and his advice for the next generation looking to make their mark
Tell us about your family’s business background and how this shaped your idea for Ethan K? Our family comes from four generations of crocodile skin heritage. One of the reasons I started Ethan K is I felt that luxury had become too mass-market. Within the last five years I have successfully taken the brand to an international level, in the sense that it started as an exotic skin bag label and has now become a fully-fledged luxury brand. We have grown from a small collection of clutches, into day bags, small leather goods and jackets. We [at Ethan K] see that there is a change in the luxury industry in the last couple of years. Our products reflect that demographic shift and the fact that the luxury consumer is looking for more than just a status symbol.
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PRODUC T, IT IS SELLING DREAMS AND EMOTIONS
LUXURY IS NOT JUST SELLING A
The vibrant colours you use and the details on the clasps are also inspired by family history, can you tell us more about this? I was brought up in Singapore, and though I live in London and am pretty much international, my roots are still incredibly important to me. Ethan K is the perfect marriage between the East and the West. Where I come from in South-East Asia there are [many] unique countries, fruits, spices, and all these are creative touchstones of my collection. When the family had a tannery at the back of our home, there was a beautiful garden where palm trees and coconut trees grew. We can transform all these to different vibrant colours.
ISSUE 72 | 2018
M Y BU S I N E S S
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