KALO, the vegan leather accessories brand created by Kate O’Neill and Michael O’Malley, has won the coveted Pitch’ 23 …
This week Brown Thomas Arnotts announced KALO as the winner of its exciting initiative Pitch ’23, designed to support small Irish businesses. The coveted prize includes a €10,000 business development fund and an exclusive opportunity to retail within the iconic department store. The winning brand will be stocked in Arnotts and online at Arnotts.ie.
KALO, created by Kate O’Neill and Michael O’Malley, is an innovative vegan leather accessories brand which produces its luxe handbags and hairbands using apple “leather”. The couple explained how the whole experience with Pitch ’23 has been a dream come true: “To be recognised by such an iconic retailer so early on in our business journey was such a massive boost for us, and now to call ourselves Pitch winners just feels so surreal!”
The brand launched in November 2022 with its debut product, the Everything Bag. Designed in Ireland and made using a “leather” created from apple waste and lining from recycled bottles, not only are they versatile bags you’ll wear on repeat, they are also kinder to the environment.
Pitch’23, an initiative by Brown Thomas Arnotts, invited emerging Irish businesses to vie for an exclusive opportunity to retail within the iconic department store and receive a €10,000 business development fund. The competition saw numerous entries from diverse sectors such as fashion, beauty, jewellery, lifestyle, circular, and technology and involved a rigorous selection process.
KALO emerged as the winner, impressing the expert judging panel, including Head of Enterprise Vena Doyle, Head of Digital Pippa Casey, Head of Sustainability Diana Geraghty, Head of Home & Lifestyle Buying Edel Woods, and businesswoman Hannah Saunders, founder of Hannah Saunders PR.
Vena Doyle, Head of Enterprise at Brown Thomas Arnotts, explained what made KALO such worthy winners: “KALO stood out among tough competition. The brand’s dedication to innovation and sustainability aligns perfectly with the values we cherish at Brown Thomas Arnotts. Embodying the stringent criteria we set forth, their remarkable journey showcased not only a robust sales performance but also a passionate engagement with the process. The brand’s scalability and potential for growth were evident, marking KALO a deserving winner of Pitch’23.”
Shop KALO at www.arnotts.ie.
