Blue Ribbon Winner
On a blink-and-you’ll miss it corner of an industrial pocket in Santa Monica is the modern day atelier of Kao Pao Shu, a venerable treasure trove of handbags, clothes and accessories made mostly out of ribbon. While the fabric is typically the culmination of a gift, it is here that ribbon is the heart and soul of founder Naida Begeta’s whimsically avant-garde womenswear brand.
A native of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Begeta began her foray in fashion in 1997, when she found herself in need of a handbag. In a moment of genius, she sewed a bag made of ribbon, and quickly garnered attention from friends who wanted one, too.
“The concept of the bags is that it is just one long line folded into a shape,” said Begeta of her bags, which lack any visible seams. “So it’s very clean inside and the construction of it is very clean.”
BAG LADY: Begeta's signature ribbon bags hang in her Santa Monica studio.
Begeta went on to earn a degree in product design from the University of Sarajevo and then eventually married Italian commercial director Marco Schillaci. After the two decamped to Milan, Begeta started selling her ribbon bags in Japan. The pair then decided to head west to Los Angeles after Schillaci fell in love with the city during a shoot. And as the demand for her goods grew, Begeta began to expand into other accessories and then, eventually, into clothing.
“It all started from what I want to wear,” said Begeta. “What I felt good wearing and then transferring the forms and shapes…that’s really what keeps me going even now. I’m on a constant exploration of the forms and what you can create from just using the line of something.”
DENIM DELUXE: A pair of ribbon-infused selvedge jeans, part of Kao Pao Shu's just-launched denim collection.
Utilizing the same “seamless” concept as her handbags, standout pieces from the apparel collection include a multicolor floor-length ribbon dress and a snug LBD. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and appears almost architectural in form. While each item is conceived organically, Begeta does draw inspiration from architects like Gaudi and Bauhaus, her everyday life and the materials she utilizes.
“I do a lot of research of fabrics and experiment with forms,” explained Begeta. “For spring/summer 2012, we are using specialty fabrics that have metal in them. For fall/winter, we are going color crazy.”
In addition to her clothing and accessories, Begeta just launched a denim collection at the end of January that features her signature ribbon detail on Japanese selvedge denim. Styles consist of boyfriend, skinny, relaxed and shorts, each in an array of washes. The denim ranges in price from $240-$372, and can be purchased at her atelier. Customers looking to shop the entire Kao Pao Shu collection are welcome to drop by the Santa Monica space, where Begeta can be found on a daily basis. Also for those interested, Begeta is happily available to make custom pieces.
RIBBONS IN THE SKY: Begeta in her ribbon showroom.
“It’s another level of inspiration to know the face of the person that I am making this for,” she said. “I enjoy that.”
After a few years in this industry, we asked Begeta to impart some words of wisdom for aspiring designers. Her advice? “Don’t let go. Have a lot of patience, especially now because the business and industry in this moment is really difficult. It’s even depressing in certain moments because you are like okay, I’m never going to get through. I’m never going to get to the point I want to get to. And it really just takes a lot of patience and hard work.”
As for that name, Kao Pao Shu, it was a blissfully fated incident. While styling for a fashion show in Sarajevo one evening, a film by legendary actress and Kung-Fu film director Kao Pao-Shu came on the television. “I was sitting with a few friends and we were brainstorming names, and the TV was on,” explained Begeta. “One of the people was like, ‘Oh, it says it was directed by Kao Pao-Shu. That sounds really good.’ So it just stayed. At some point we did get an email from her daughter that found us on Google, and said she was excited that the name continues to live.”
And so it does.
Kao Pao Shu kaopaoshu.com. 1906 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica, 90404. Phone: 310.453.1919. Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Walk-ins welcome. Saturday and Sunday by appointment only.