Get to know Aesther Ekme, creator of the anti-it bag

Designer bags born through a problem-solving approach gave life to Aesther Ekme – a minimalist handbag brand designed with functionality at its core. “A bag should be part of your body, not speak for you,” founder and designer Stephane Park says. “I’ve always loved bags, but I don’t like the idea of wearing them, or rather them wearing you.”

After completing her master’s degree in Copenhagen, Park set out to create Aesther Ekme, a leather handbag now operating from Copenhagen and Paris. While the minimalistic handbag designs might seem to stem from a Scandinavian aesthetic, Park grew up with South Korean parents in Brazil. With an appreciation for architecture in the form of Brazilian brutalism and the abstract curves of Oscar Niemeyer’s work as her inspiration, Park set out to create wearable sculptures that serve a function. The results speak for themselves; simple and elevated leather handbags that manage to be both structured yet highly wearable, with no visible hardware or logos.

With a degree in womenswear, Park's approach to prioritising the fit is reflected throughout the design process, from sketch to actual wear. "We do a series of fittings throughout to ensure the bag sits comfortably and discreetly under the shoulder," she says. In addition, Park recognises that while flashy bags often overpower the wearer, "they also affect your posture, how you carry yourself and eventually your overall persona." Therefore, creating discreet bags that compliment rather than overpowers is at the core of each design.

After graduating from Parsons in NYC and designing bags under Alexander Wang, Park's appreciation for leather goods grew to a point where she was ready to set up her own brand with a particular mission. "I did not want the brand to carry my own name. It's part of the logo-less approach," Park points out. She further explains that' Aesther Ekme is a play on words, from the combination of the name 'Esther' and the word 'aesthetic', while Ekme translates into 'shoulder bag' in Crimean Tatar. After relocating the production to a small Spanish craftsmanship village, the new collections that debut twice a year are mostly new colourways of timeless designs, including bucket bags, totes and shoulder bags in Italian leathers.

Launching in 2016 into a booming market of logo-led bags, Park was purposely against the idea of creating an 'it-bag'. She points out that Aesther Ekme bags are "not to be viewed as status symbols." "My designs are a direct response to the trend of seasonal it-bags," Park continues. The slow-fashion approach caught wind during the pandemic when customers started to prioritise function over fashion, and the interest for purposeful wearability materialised into new consumer habits. Being a product-lead brand with no advertising and minimal marketing means many people have yet to come across Aesther Ekme bags. However, with a growing niche fan base, the designs are already selectively distributed in over 50 stores worldwide, in more than 15 countries, and in some of the most prestigious department stores, from Bergdorf Goodman to MatchesFashion.com.