ANGLES
We were blessed to meet the owner, Anek Kulthaveesup,
the design director and founder of Labrador, who was
manning the shop at the time. We got to know him
a little better and discovered that like us, he was an
architect. He got tired of trying to please his architectural
clients and with his love for crafting leather, eventually
decided to establish a business out of his passion.
Nevertheless, his philosophy in product design is no
different from his architecture, which exhibits clean lines
and possess sustainable qualities. This is best seen in the
Labrador factory which Anek designed. His core mantra
for his design practice involved the usage of recyclable
and local materials, which are produced with low energy
consumption and with low wastage.
We immediately fell in love with Anek’s products and
design philosophy from that short visit that even without
a background in retail, we made a no-brainer decision
to be the official distributing partner of Labrador in the
Philippines. Such as is our belief in the product’s strength
and quality that we have also decided to expand distribution
to New South Wales in Australia as of the moment.
What sets Labrador apart from other leather
goods products out in the market? Who are your
target buyers?
Our products are reflective of a responsible design
philosophy that values craftsmanship and sustainability.
Every Labrador product is well-thought out and
designed; it is anti-consumerist in that it is produced
with societal and environmental well-being mind—
sustainability is prioritized from the beginning of the
design stage, to material use, and eventually less-to-zero
waste target during production. This also prompted the
creation of a sub-category of Labrador called RElabrador,
short for ‘Recycled-Labrador’, which carry a line of
products true to material use, with impeccable product
design with a conscience.
Our target buyers know no age, but we specifically
appeal to users who express great appreciation and
fascination for good product design. We target buyers
who find beauty in simplicity and disdain for excess,
those who are environmentally concerned and aware that
leather is not only a beautiful and luxurious material, but
“Our products are reflective of a responsible design
philosophy that values craftsmanship and sustainability.”
Left: Factory visit, 2016, Right: The Labrador factory in Nonthaburi, Thailand
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