Heart and sole
Fashion meets compassion in this Malaysian footwear brand's stylish, animal-friendly products.
THE idea of having compassion in fashion has long been on the rise. As it is, non-animal derived clothing is now desirable – with designs that are both beautiful and comfortable becoming available.
Kulet, for one, believes in using animal-friendly alternatives for its products. The Malaysian footwear brand carries a range of stylish designs that makes use of man-made leather.
While the name may suggest otherwise (being from the Malay word for “skin”), the founders say that it is intended as such. They think it works in getting people to ask the right questions.
“Many of our customers assume we sell shoes made from genuine leather. And often, they’re pleasantly surprised when told otherwise,” points out 25-year-old Julie Anne Kang.
The name Kulet was also chosen to reflect the nude colour palette, which is the staple colour of the brand’s designs. Those colours were chosen to complement different skin tones.
Her business partner Aina Syahirah Azlin, 26, explains that the decision to only produce animal-friendly products was made right from the beginning. The two of them started the brand last year.
“It’s something we’ve grown passionate about since having pets of our own. From then on, we became aware of the ‘compassion in fashion’ movement and wanted it to be the core element of our brand,” states Aina.
According to Kang, they believe in educating consumers. The hope is for people to realise that they don’t have to buy genuine leather footwear to get the same premium quality and experience.
Kulet’s products are also made in Malaysia using a locally owned factory. While a few components are sourced overseas, the majority of materials come from within the country.
“Our packaging is from an independent supplier in Malaysia as well. We try our best to not only support the local industry but
small business owners as well,” notes Kang about keeping the business socially responsible.
Aesthetic-wise, the Kulet girl is described as someone with a very effortless style. She is also a person who dresses with ease. The designs offered can be mixed and matched with any outfit for all occasions.
“We have people as young as 12 wearing our flats and sandals, as well as those within our mum’s age complimenting our designs. They say that the heel height is great and they use it for work and casual outings,” comments Aina.
All of Kulet’s designs are made in limited quantities. The collections are released on a capsule basis, with new ones being unveiled each quarter in a year. Prices range from RM149 to RM269.
Kang explains that the shoes are produced in an exclusive manner because they believe that everyone should be able to experience exclusivity – but not just at a luxury price point.
“We have received comments not just from our friends but most customers saying that they can’t stop wearing the shoes because it’s very comfortable and our colour palette makes it very easy for them to pair it with everything.”
It is interesting to note that Kang and Aina don’t actually have a fashion design background. While they have worked with a fashion company before, they have no experience designing footwear.
Kang studied mass communication, and Aina, fashion marketing and management. They however think that they work very well together, with each of them having a clear vision of their business direction.
As Aina puts it, “Having a design background definitely helps. But it’s not a must. If a person doesn’t have a business background, does it mean that their business won’t be successful?”
“It does give the production people a problem though. They’ll tell us that you can’t do it in a certain way, but we’ll go: ‘Oh, but we want it. Can’t you just try it out and see?’” quips Kang, laughing.
It certainly helps that the Kuala Lumpurborn duo have been friends for quite some time. They share the same love for minimalism and timeless designs, which they claim makes it easier to agrees on things.
“I take care more of the numbers and admin stuff – orders and such. Aina on the other hand, has a really good eye in terms of taste and style. Photo editing and website building, that’s more her thing,” concludes Kang.
Kulet’s shoes and sandals can be purchased on kulet.co. Checkout their Instagram and Facebook accounts (kuletstore) for more information.