Cover Victoria Tang-Owen’s exclusive collection with Kipling is out now (Photo: courtesy of Kipling)

To mark International Women’s Day, the Hong Kong designer has teamed up with Kipling to create bags that combine fashion and functionality

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Belgian brand Kipling has partnered with Hong Kong designer and entrepreneur Victoria Tang-Owen to create a limited-edition range of bags—“a collection for empowered women”—which launches worldwide today.

Tang, who was born in London and raised in Hong Kong and Japan, was creative director at Shanghai Tang before opening her eponymous design platform, Victoria Tang Studio in 2020.

“Kipling is a nostalgic brand for me because I grew up with it. It has been a part of my childhood in so many ways, my first-ever purchase from Kipling was a pencil case. The fact that the brand is growing and diversifying is great, and it was a great opportunity to collaborate with them”, she said in a press release. 

Read more: Victoria Tang-Owen On Family Legacy And Her First Collection As Shanghai Tang’s Creative Director

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Above Victoria Tang-Owen wears the Art tote in Dark Emerald (Photo: Courtesy of Victoria Tang-Owen)
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Above The Kimmie shoulder bag in Ice Lavender (Photo: Courtesy of Kipling)

The collaboration has resulted in a seven-piece capsule collection of crossbody bags, totes, backpacks and shoulder bags. Designed with convenience and style in mind, some of the accessories have parts that are detachable to suit the user’s needs—for example, the backpack’s front pocket can be worn separately as a waist bag. The designs come in two wearable but bold shades: VT Dark Emerald and VT Ice Lavender.

“My top picks are the Kimmie shoulder bag in Ice Lavender because I love the colour contrast [between the purple and green, as well as] the detachable parts. Also, the Art tote in Dark Emerald because it feels so cushiony. It’s also great for travelling, as it has an adjustable strap and bright lining that makes it easy to rummage around to find what you are looking for”, she told Tatler.

To launch the collection, Tang will kick off Kipling Coffee Talks, a series of videos in which influential people from across the globe will share their inspiring journeys to celebrate International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate womanhood and the women who inspire us.

Don’t miss: Why Do We Need International Women’s Day?

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Above (Photo: courtesy of Kipling)

“Recently, I travelled to Paris and immersed myself in the Elsa Schiaparelli retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. It was incredibly inspiring to see how she manifested her bold ideas and was so confident in her creativity to work with a wide range of incredible collaborators.

“She was a pioneer and a true collaborator [who crossed] art, fashion and culture. Her works were surreal, eccentric, fun and made me wonder how I could think more out of the box and not be afraid to experiment.”

Finally, on empowering herself and other women, Tang shares pearls of wisdom she’s collected along the way: “If I could advise my younger self, I would say it’s okay not to have a clear picture of what you want to do or where you want to end up in life. All your experiences make you unique and give you a valuable perspective.”

The collection is available to purchase at Kipling boutiques and online. 

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