FIONA KOTUR’s edgy handbags appeal to Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum and other stylish celebrities. The native New Yorker told CHRIS HANRAHAN how she aims “to bridge the gap between modern technique and traditional craftsmanship.”

“MY BAGS ARE not for everybody,” admits Fiona Kotur. “They have a strong point of view. I am inspired by art deco. I like to use exotic materials such as brocade, natural python, haircalf, sequins and straw. I have done batik bags with fabric I found in Bali, and I have used hand-women tinalak cloth from the southern Philippines.”

Kotur handbags certainly appeal to stylish celebrities. “Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to see photos of Kim Kardashian with my bags,” says Kotur, a New Yorker who lives in Hong Kong with her investment banker husband and their four young sons. “I didn’t even know Kim liked my stuff. I certainly didn’t send her any bags. She buys them retail.”

The first Hollywood star to be spotted with a Kotur was Tilda Swanton, who “is still a big fan,” says Kotur. So, too, are the likes of actresses Ginnifer Goodwin, Renée Zellweger, Selena Gomez and Drew Barrymore, and supermodel Heidi Klum. “Heidi has written to me, saying very nice things about my designs,” notes Fiona. “Not long ago, I received a note from André Leon Talley (a contributing editor of Vogue magazine and America’s Next Top Model judge) asking me to make a bag especially for him.”

Now, fashionistas in Indonesia can buy Kotur bags. The attractive, blonde fortysomething designer’s glamorous minaudieres and clutches are exclusively available at the Masari boutiques. “I met Daisy Musin Dare (Business Development Director of Masari Group) in New York and she asked me to bring my bags to Jakarta,” explains Kotur during an interview at The Dharmawangsa.

Kotur moved to Hong Kong when her husband was offered a job there 10 years ago. “It was a good opportunity for him. We thought it was going to be an adventure that would last for a year or two at most,” she chuckles. “We have grown to love Hong Kong, and we have no plans to leave.”

She goes on: “I grew up in a home in which beauty and creativity were revered. My mother is culture vulture and a very modern woman. She is inspired by new ideas. Growing up, my sister and I spent a lot of time learning visual language from her. She introduced us to design, fashion, art, music. It was a household of ideas.”

Fiona Kotur graduated from Wellesley College and studied at Yale, then later at Parsons School of Design. Her first job was at Ralph Lauren. In 1995, she went to work for Gap Inc, in the Old Navy division. After giving birth to her second son, she began a collaboration with American fashion designer Tory Burch.

“We had been best friends for years, so I was delighted when Tory asked me to help her get her company off the ground,” says Kotur. “My job was to develop the sourcing and manufacturing operations. It was a great short-term project and I learned a lot. Two years later, I felt that I was ready to start my own business.”

Kotur discovered an old textile mill in Hong Kong with “an amazing inventory of vintage silk brocades and other remnants. The owner was 90 years old, and extraordinary craftsman. I thought, why not buy his inventory and do something with it? I did not think I could make a business out of it. I treated it as a side project, to raise funds for Operation Smile (a charity that treats cleft palates).”

The designer launched her first bag collection in 2004. “It was retro glamour combined with various exotic elements in a limited edition of brocade clutches,” she says. “To my surprise, it was picked up by Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong, and Browns in London.”

There was no stopping Kotur after that. She sets out “to bridge the gap between modern technique and traditional craftsmanship. I love high-low. I think this is how best to structure your life. So I believe in offering bags in every collection in a wide range of prices, from US$300 to US$3,000.”