Founder & Designer

Founder & Designer - Amy Chu

Amy Chu is the founder, CEO and designer for KAESA. Amy is originally from NYC and began her professional career as an Interior Architect for workplace designs. During this time, she worked on large projects for companies like UBS and Colgate, managing every aspect of these projects from post design to construction.

While living in NYC, Amy developed a passion for design, fashion and sustainability. After witnessing firsthand how many plastic bags were being thrown away in New York everyday, Amy felt inspired to develop a line of eco-friendly, foldable bags that would help reduce plastic waste. She began by creating 50 prototypes made from luxurious textiles like cotton, silk and linen. These bags were a huge hit with Amy’s friends and family and she sold almost all of them within just a few months.

This initial success prompted Amy to design her first handbag and enter it into an international handbag competition in NYC, where she became a top 5 finalist. From that moment on, Amy knew designing handbags was her true calling.

In 2016, Amy moved to Korea to pursue her dream of creating her own sustainable handbag design company. Amy decided to start her company in Korea for several reasons, one of which was her desire to reconnect with her Korean heritage. Korea also has a long history of skilled craftsmanship, so Amy knew she would be able to find skilled artisans who could beautifully create and execute her designs. By choosing Korea as the location for her business, Amy was able to utilize this exceptional craftsmanship while also supporting the Korean economy. 

Amy is exceptionally passionate about design, whether it’s architecture, fashion or some other form of design. She is in her element when blending her knowledge, skills and passion into a 3-dimensional product and feels most excited when she is designing and crafting creative ideas and solutions. Amy’s interior architecture background plays a large role in her designs and she strives to translate the design and function of architecture into the fashion she creates. Although her fashion background is somewhat unconventional, Amy’s design and technical background give her a unique perspective that truly sets her designs, and KAESA as a whole, apart.