Canada’s MODA:KO Has You Stylishly Covered

The woman behind Canadian brand MODA:KO is Kelly C. Lee. Her brand offers up stylish cases and bags for your precious tablets and laptops, all hand crafted here in Canada. In this #stmINTERVIEWED Kelly talks about starting her line, gives a tip to entrepreneurs starting out and shares her opinion on Canadian top model Coco Rocha.

Campaign photo (top) by Marcus Kan

Photo provided by MODA:KO

STM – Where did the idea come from to start your own line of fashionable electronic cases?

Kelly – I was constantly looking for a stylish yet reasonably priced case for my iPad and was tired of not being able to find anything that was chic and also wasn’t mass-produced.

People stop me all the time in airports to ask me where my laptop case is from.

Photo of Kelly in design studio provided by MODA:KO

STM – What is your favourite thing about being an entrepreneur?

Kelly – Having the chance to be involved in every aspect of the business and being invested in something that I love and have a dedicated interest in.

Campaign photo by Marcus Kan

STM – What is the hardest part of running your own business? Do you have a tip for other entrepreneurs on how to make it easier?

Kelly – I find that while still a small business, one of the hardest parts is having to balance doing tasks that you don’t enjoy as much because you don’t have the staff for doing everything. My advice would be to be as patient as possible and also try to learn something new that can help you become more well-rounded and that can help bring your business up a notch in doing so. For example, I’ve enrolled in some e-commerce courses which will help me to better understand how to run an online business.

Campaign photo by Marcus Kan

STM – Of your current line, which item are you carrying yourself and why did you choose this one to be your own?

Kelly – Stella MacBook case for my MacBook – it’s timeless and chic, and travels well. People stop me all the time in airports to ask me where my laptop case is from.

…she’s someone to admire and respect for her personality and social media savvy.

STM – Who is one person in the Canadian fashion industry, (any position) that you admire and why?

Kelly – Coco Rocha ~ She’s such a naturally engaging model and spokesperson; and has really played the social media game perfectly, she’s someone to admire and respect for her personality and social media savvy.

Photo of Kelly sourcing fabrics provided by MODA:KO

STM – How do you choose the colours and patterns to offer your product in?

Kelly – Based on my own tastes but keeping an eye on trends and what sells well, as well as listening to feedback from customers and retailers.

STM – What are your goals this year for the brand?

Kelly – Goals include more focus on Asia, where the line has received a significant amount of attention, particularly in Japan and Hong Kong.

Seeing as travel is one of Kelly’s favourite things to do, don’t be surprised if you bump into her trotting the globe. She told me next stop might be Morocco. There she will likely scout out a really good coffee shop, as the designer admitted, like most entrepreneurs, she reaches for a cup of joe the moment her eyes open in the morning.

Find out more about MODA:KO at shopmodako.com and get inspired by following @shopmodako on instagram.