BAGTAZO’S ORIGINS

BAGTAZO STARTED BY ACCIDENT. I USED TO GO OUT DANCING AND OFTEN MADE THINGS TO WEAR. PEOPLE WOULD ASK ME WHERE I GOT SOMETHING, TO WHICH I WOULD REPLY, “I MADE IT!” SOMETIMES THAT LED TO ME LITERALLY SELLING WHAT I WAS WEARING ON THE SPOT. ONE YEAR, A FRIEND INVITED ME TO A HOLIDAY SALE, SO I DECIDED TO MAKE THINGS AS A COLLECTION INSTEAD OF ONE-OFFS. THIS INSPIRED ME TO START A BRAND. AT THAT TIME, I MADE ALL TYPES OF ACCESSORIES AND EVEN CLOTHES; LOTS OF JEWELRY, SCARVES, AND BAGS, BUT NO HATS YET.

SHORTLY AFTER I LAUNCHED BAGTAZO, I MOVED TO SAN FRANCISCO. IN SF, MY HATS KEPT FLYING OFF FROM THE WIND (I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A HAT PERSON), SO I MADE A FEW HATS WITH STRAPS USING LEFT OVER JEWELRY CHAIN. THAT YEAR, I SHOWED MY COLLECTION TO STORES FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND THE HATS STOLE THE SHOW.

TODAY MY BIGGEST MARKET IS JAPAN, FOLLOWED BY SAN FRANCISCO, LA AND NEW YORK. HAVING MOVED TO NEW YORK IN 2016, THE BRAND HAS GROWN WITH ME. EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE, I SEE MY HATS ON THE CITY STREETS, WHICH ALWAYS BRINGS A TEAR TO MY EYE. ONCE UPON A TIME, I WAS JUST A GIRL MAKING THINGS IN MY ROOM SO THAT I COULD DRESS UP TO GO DANCING…