KWANPEN

History

The company was founded by Kwan Pen Seng in 1938. He started out in the leatherworking industry by offering restoration services for leather handbags owned by the wives of British officers and businessmen. This led the founder to start his trade in manufacturing crocodile leather bags from his home-based workshop. Kwanpen gradually expanded in mid-1970s to include contract work from top Western labels and the first Kwanpen retail shop opened on Orchard Road in 1976. In 1980, Mr Leonard Kwan, current president of the company, took over the business from his father and the brand’s logo, inspired by the family’s first name, was created in 1989. The first Kwanpen overseas retail outlet was opened in Hong Kong in 1996. Since then, Kwanpen has expanded its reach internationally to countries such as the United Kingdom, Thailand and Hong Kong and also operate at department store standalone counters in Seoul, Dubai and Riyadh.

Products

All Kwanpen bags are still manufactured in Singapore using the center belly-cut crocodile leather where most of the manufacturing is done manually.
The main collections in the Kwanpen lineup are the Raffles, Droplet, Signature and Classic collections. Their Raffles handbag was launched in 1991, and the oldest design still in production is the Lady’s Classic handbag first created in 1983.

Conservation

The company, who has been a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources/ Crocodile Specialist Group since 1985, only buys crocodile skin that comes with certification from CITES. All goods produced and exported by Kwanpen are accompanied with this certification.