WHAT IS KRYZ UY TOTING?
In this age of #lifegoals and #howtobeyoupo culture, it’s easy to want to conform. But for Kryz Uy and her line of bags under February Lifestyle, she encourages to do otherwise.
Known as one of the country’s top bloggers, the 27-year-old Cebuana adds a new title under her name: Entrepreneur. Kryz launched the brand in March last year. Being an online personality, she realized that she—and what she posts online—affects people. This sparked her personal advocacy: to be one’s self and be proud of it. But she wanted something tangible to represent it—thus, February was born!
On why she chose the name February, Kryz explains: “When you think of February, you don’t know what to expect. It is the only month in the year that surprises us with 28 (or 29) days. It could be super hot in the tropics or super cold in the north. It could be a month of love or a month of bitterness.”
With designs such as Be My Ladybug and Ants in Your Pants, February bags scream fun and
quirky. However, Kryz’s designs have a deeper meaning than one might think at first glance. Kryz cites as example:
“Ants in Your Pants was inspired by today’s ‘How To Be You Po’ culture, when everyone just wants to follow the trend and look exactly like their idols. The bag features horizontal stripes and a single stripe in the middle made with hand molded ants that aren’t going in a straight line. The horizontal stripes represent the ‘sheep’ in society—everyone who acts the same way in fear of being judged. The ants are, hopefully, you. It’s okay to look different from everyone else. You are lucky enough to be unique and you don’t have to be ashamed about it.”
Made of proudly local materials such as Philippine raffia, straw and banig, a February bag is not just a social statement—but a cultural one as well. “I want people to fall in love with our native materials and change their notions that native has to look ethnic. It doesn’t. Local can be relatable. It can be quirky and it can add a lot of spice to your look,” Kryz enthuses.
The bags are meticulously handmade by local craftsmen in Cebu, which means no piece is exactly the same. Each bag bears its own imperfections— nuances, if you will. This is what the brand strives for: to embrace imperfections, to be unique and different.
On quality, Kryz assures that the bags are highly durable as each one goes through multiple quality checks with the production team. “I assure you, it’s more than what you pay for! A customer of ours even took her Sweet Like Sugar sling on a jetski in the Maldives and it was drenched in salt water. Guess what—the bag is still alive and kicking!”
With her brand, Kryz sends one powerful message to anyone who buys the bags: “Whoever you are, you can bring a February bag just because you want to. There are no rules. You make the rules.”