Customised Hand-Painted Leather Handbags In Singapore Ft. Designs Like Sanrio, Ghibli, Disney & More

By Rachel Yohannan on 17 Mar 2022

Senior Digital Editor

Crazy cat lady who loves afternoon tea, kawaii Japanese fashion, and all things Sanrio.

Perhaps it stems from the desire to feel “special”, but let’s face it - everyone loves owning something unique. That’s why customised fashion accessories are so popular, with everything from Swarovski-studded BABY-G watches to embroidered Nike sneakers designed to be dyed any way you like. There’s even shoe art jamming now, so sneakerheads can create their own custom kicks.

Adding on to that is Collective by Aoki, a Singapore-based business that customises their very own hand-painted leather handbags. Here’s a look at their adorable character-themed designs featuring favourites from Sanrio, Studio Ghibli, Disney, and more.

Read on to find out more about Collective by Aoki and their painted leather handbags!

Photo from Collective by Aoki

Perhaps you own one too many handbags with the same monogram print, or just can’t seem to find any quality leather pieces that appeal to your fun-loving nature. No matter, for that’s where Collective by Aoki comes in with their fresh designs that come with a playful character-themed touch.

Photo from Collective by Aoki

But first, let’s address what’s probably on everyone’s minds at this point: The bags themselves. While these aren’t from world-famous labels like Chanel or Gucci, they’re all crafted using real calf leather, and are part of Catalogue by Aoki’s own line of handbags. All designs are hand-painted using premium Angelus Leather Paint. As such, you can probably expect a good level of sturdiness and long-lasting quality.

Photo from Collective by Aoki

What first drew us to Collective by Aoki was their kawaii handbags featuring Peko-chan, the little girl that’s the mascot of Japanese Milky candy. There’s one with that classic red background mimicking the iconic candy packaging, but there’s also a white version where Peko-chan is reimagined as a chibi-esque Alice in Wonderland.

Photo from Collective by Aoki

There are also quite a few Sanrio-inspired ones. Get just your favourite character painted on, or opt for the whole gang to be present!

Photo from Collective by Aoki

Mad respect for all the time taken to paint the above with multiple characters including old faves like Hello Kitty and Pompompurin, as well as newer ones like Gudetama and Aggretsuko.

Photo from Collective by Aoki

If you’re more of a San-X fan, you can opt for RIlakkuma instead!

Photo from Collective by Aoki

We know many of you are Disney fans, and you're sure to love the ones with illustrations of Winnie-the-Pooh, Toy Story, and Marie from The Aristocats.

Photo from Collective by Aoki

Other designs include tokidoki, Studio Ghibli characters like Totoro, and whimsical scenes from the children’s novel, The Little Prince.

Photo from Collective by Aoki

These are just some of the many hand-painted handbags skillfully done up by Collective by Aoki. Don’t have a penchant for cutesy cartoonish illustrations? You can always ask for elegant florals, semi-realistic pet portraits, and even personalised name logos to be painted on your chosen bag.

Photo from Collective by Aoki

Prices start from $120, and vary depending on size of bag and complexity of design. Check out their creations on Instagram and place your order with them via the Telegram chat link in their bio.