While I was in Japan, I had opportunities to meet some of our BK partners, one of whom is ateliers PENELOPE. Excitingly, they are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, and our relationship has been going steadily after working together for the past decade. In fact, I went back to my inbox, scrolling all the way to our very first conversation back in 2016. It was after Nerine, Eunice, and I visited Tokyo together and stopped by their store in Nakameguro. I was already familiar with their brand, but the visit was so charming, and we loved so many of their items that I decided to inquire about opening a wholesale account.
The ateliers PENELOPE team and I talked about this memory over a cup of coffee. They mentioned that they were quite surprised that I boldly contacted them without any proper introduction. It was such an early year of BK. My attitude was like, “Well, be honest and straightforward with my intentions. They can always say no”. Actually, most of our partnership relationships have started like this because of the nature of how I stumble upon artifacts, not at a tradeshow but most often on the street or by serendipity.
I’m so grateful that Asuka-san and Nao-san of ateliers PENELOPE gave us a chance to grow the relationship with them. We have been sharing many of their original lineups as well as their seasonal bags. In recent years, we have had more opportunities to collaborate on launching our co-branded artifacts that explore the intersection of analogue moments and everyday carry, such as Loop, Bundle, and Mini Shoulder Bag. My visit this time was to discuss the upcoming collaboration projects. Some of these design discussions can happen over Zoom, but when it comes to quickly communicating the concept, settling on the right materials, and feeling the shared excitement in the air, nothing beats the in-person experience. And honestly, the meeting goes much more quickly because we are not waiting around for perfect moments for each of us to share our feedback. Our evening meeting ended with a fun dinner, and I went back to their studio the next day to photograph their space, including some behind-the-scenes office photos.
Since BK is a petite operation, the personal connection, integrity in relationships, and alignment of values with everyone working with us have been such important catalysts in moving our business forward at each step over the past 15 years… and I am deeply grateful for what we are creating together with the ateliers PENELOPE team this year as they celebrate their 30th anniversary and many more!
p.s. They just updated their website, and here is the link! I am loving the clean look of their renewed website that perfectly matches their brand!
