Hong Kong duo with bags of ambition launch debut capsule collection

Quality and craftsmanship are at the heart of the design philosophy of two young Hongkongers and their label Cafuné.

Founded last year by childhood friends Queenie Fan and Day Lau, Cafuné is a tightly curated collection of monochrome handbags that launched in December.

“Since we were young, Day and I have wanted to work together. We were always exploring opportunities related to art and culture but were never sure what shape it would take. Eventually, with my design background, we felt strongly about setting up a brand,” says Fan.

Fan, who heads Cafuné’s design and product development, graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in the US, before taking up handbag design posts with 3.1 Phillip Lim, Coach and Rag & Bone. She then returned to Hong Kong and felt an instinctive pull to continue her work in accessories design. That’s when Cafuné was born.

“Cafuné is a Brazilian Portuguese word – it means playing with your lover’s hair,” says Lau, who handles the marketing and financial aspects of the business. “It’s it’s a special word because it covers the emotional and tactile feeling that we want to create with our products.”

The brand’s design approach is minimal, reflecting Fan’s industrial design background. For the brand’s first capsule collection, which comes in two colours (grey and black) and in three different models, Cafuné focused on creating signature classics that would fit seamlessly into any woman’s wardrobe. One example is through the use of marble panels – a design element which requires marble to be two millimetres thin and lightweight. Because of its fragility, the stone is framed in custom metal hardware, resulting in a sleek and modern aesthetic.