Mata Hari

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  Mata Hari The Irina Bag
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  Mata Hari The Lisa Bag in White
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  Mata Hari The Lisa Bag in Purple Patent
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  Mata Hari The Josie Bag in Black Patent
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  Mata Hari The Ayumi Bag
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  Mata Hari The Remi Coinbag in Silver Metallic
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  Mata Hari The Remi Coinbag in Bronze Metallic
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  Mata Hari The Hilary Clutch in Red Metallic
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  Mata Hari The Anigami Mirror in White
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  Mata Hari The Anigami Mirror in Black Patent

Lisa S flaunts the Lisa bowling bag

Imagine soft leather curved on all the right corners. Metalware glistening like brilliant diamonds in the sunlight. Funky individuals marching to the beat of their own drum. Combine all these imageries, and you get a bold, unique and fresh handbag label – Mata Hari.

Mata Hari is the brainchild of creative spirit Annie Lee, who released the line’s first collection in 2009. The exotic-sounding label hails from the code name of a female Dutch spy during the time of World War I in the late 1800’s, who posed as a normal Parisian dancer by day, but was secretly a spy for the German government. The brand aims to live up to the embodiment of its name by translating it into handbag designs that possess a certain hint of sass and sophistication, yet are spiced up by an aura of sexy danger and a touch mystery, true to how the character of Mata Hari was. This winning formula has resulted to a collection of handbags which cater to the whims of women wanting to keep up with the times through modern pieces that still manage to show off their individual sense of style.

If quality is something that you crave for in a bag without having to break the bank, Mata Hari is just the brand that can satiate your desires. Featuring rich, plush yet durable leather infused with sturdy metal hardware and eye-catching details and trims, Mata Hari definitely doesn’t fall short of the craftsmanship one would expect a luxury label to have, without the exorbitant price tag. Mata Hari deviates from the typical notion of style – that is, of a luxury  monogrammed handbag-wearing woman – and instead delves right into the fusion of modern chic and glam asethetics. The brand takes the dreams, ambitions, priorities and lifestyles of real women, and weaves these into handbags which exude function, fashion, and femme fatale allure.

Wanting to stay close to her Asian roots, Annie Lee chose a venue that perfectly captures this vibe to launch the brand’s first collection to the press – vibrant Hong Kong. What’s more, in keeping with the theme, the collection features the designs of four Asian fashion icons who perfectly personify the definition of style with their keen sense of chicness: Josie Ho, a singer and actress from Hong Kong; Lisa S, a Channel V VJ and international supermodel; Hilary Tsui, an actress and fashion figure from Hong Kong; and Ayumi Ito, an actress from Japan. These four ladies were chosen to create a handbag design each that would encapsulate their lifestyles and show off their personalities. The resulting designs, named after their designers, were nothing but fabulous: the Josie bag, a grungy, edgy and intriguing duffle bag with an M16 gun print; the Lisa bag, a classic, elegant bowling bag; the Hilary bag, a quirky, playful star-shaped bag, and the Ayumi bag, a chic, charming stone-embellished bag. Clearly, these bags go from just representing the four designers to representing all the chic, feisty, unique and sophisticated women of the world who are ready and raring to hit the streets and paint the town red.

The four designers showing off their creations during the Mata Hari press launch

Aside from the four main designs, the first collection also holds several other stylish handbags, to provide more variety for the woman who likes diversity. Mata Hari has been seen on the pages of magazines such as Marie Claire Hong Kong, and continues to capture and captivate an audience not just in the Asian market, but even in international markets as well.

Get your fill of Mata Hari from the following outlets: Pixie Market in New York, i.t. store in Hong Kong, The Thing store in Seoul, Korea, and from the following online vendors: Karmaloop.com and Shopnastygal.com. Be the next IT girl and show off your fabulous sense of style with the fresh, stunning and feminine designs of Mata Hari handbags.