The birth of Kimood
February 2021
Matteo Borri, Brand Manager for KARIBAN BRANDS, passionate about alpinism, tells us how he came up with the idea of creating Kimood.
Interview with Matteo Borri, brand manager at KARIBAN BRANDS
Matteo, can you tell us where Kimood came from?
"Kimood is a brand of bags and accessories, but it's a part of me too. For almost 10 years I have been trying to give this brand meaning, to shape it. Kimood actually arose from a brief discussion one fine summer afternoon. The name I chose fully reflects what I wanted it to mean.
Ki literally means the steam you get when you cook rice, but most of all it metaphorically means breath and energy. Mood means just that, your mood, your feelings. The union of these two concepts led to Kimood. We’ve tried to inject some of that spirit into our little world of bags and luggage.
Kimood is committed to respecting everybody’s work and dignity, and promotes women’s work especially. As I have two little girls of my own, it was something I felt strongly about. These beliefs are what led to our Conscious Collection and Handloom Project. With Kimood, we really wanted to contribute to the circular economy, which is still not happening enough in our profession. This is achieved mainly through using natural or organic materials as well as increasing the amount of recycled fabrics certified by competent bodies, whether it’s for our products or their packaging.
I’m a mountaineer, so respect for the environment is as important to me when I indulge in my love of the mountains as when I work on the design for Kimood collections. What matters most at Kimood is that everybody who contributes to this project thrives through creating quality, virtuous products that fit with the brand’s values.
And in conclusion, I’d like to say, let’s allow our Ki and our mood to vibe together and bring new projects to life. "
