Nekosama x bao by andrea
Alyssa has been a fan of bao by andrea, ever since she got the Hanabi print at an event years ago. Somehow, she didn't realize that Andrea, who had been ordering cookies from Nekosama was THE ANDREA from bao by andrea - until last May.
Last December, she mustered up the courage & said to Andrea:
"Hey......wanted to see if you are interested in collaborating next year?"
Andrea: "TOTALLY"
And the rest was history.
bao by andrea was created when Andrea decided that she would doodle something once a day in 2020. She gathered her favorite things while watching her youngest cat, bao, zoomed around the house. Looking at the little fur-ball with such a big personality, Andrea decided to set off the journey to create the adventure for them both in a boundless world.
Andrea loves stories. She believes that stories not only come from words and physical experiences, but they can also come from the minds and the emotions. In her doodles and illustrations, Andrea focuses on telling a story from the tiniest feeling(s) and validating them. Whether it be just looking at the sky and realizing how celeste it is today, or catching a melody that makes you feel a little melancholy.
We had in-person meetings whilst eating carbs, exchanged countless text messages, and shared different ideas.
Andrea studied both the cats & the humans of Nekosama and created a series of whimsical designs. It was so difficult to choose only a couple!
Behold! Part I is here!
We made keychains and there are two designs:
-Baker bao in Nekosama gear
-Nekosama in Andrea's style
Andrea is incredibly talented, funny and quirky. It has been such an honor and so much fun to collaborate!
Andrea has a few upcoming events in May:
5/16 at HEAD WEST Marketplace San Mateo
5/30 & 5/31 at SJMade Fest, San Jose History Park
Don't miss out if you are in the area!
Part II of the Collaboration follows: The Formosa Cookie Box 2.0! To celebrate our Taiwanese heritage, we are using whimsical shapes + Asian flavors in the cookie box. Featuring a delicious Peanut Shortbread x Dark Chocolate Chef Bao!!
@bao_o_o
The Cookie Box will be available for pre-order through Hotplate for the entire month of May. We will also be bringing them to the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival on Saturday, 5/9 at SF Union Square!
We also made a set of stickers to celebrate AAPI Month!
Alyssa & Andrea are both first generation Asian Americans, so this set of stickers are themed around being bicultural - to celebrate our roots (bobas). We are focusing not on the struggles (because there are much struggles...), but the advantages of being bicultural, like being fluent in all utensils lol.
Fun fact:
The Mandarin characters on the Black Cat + Taiwanese flag are actually Alyssa's handwriting (and she has never written so diligently ). The phrase means "Taiwanese cat la!" in Taiwanese dialect - kind of an inside joke with her fellow Taiwanese.
These stickers will debut on Sat, 5/9 at the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival!
