It usually starts with something small: a side hustle in college, a hobby you turn into a product, a simple idea you try “just to see if it works.” For Kamille Kate King, that early experiment didn’t just become a business—it became the foundation of a purpose-driven brand that continues to evolve more than a decade later.
Now 30, Kamille is the Founder and Creative Director of Sacré, a lifestyle brand built on creativity, advocacy, and intentional design. But her story didn’t begin with the usual entrepreneurial hunger for profit or popularity. It began with volunteer work that reshaped her worldview.
“I started my entrepreneurial journey while I was still in university completing my bachelor’s degree,” she shares. “During that time, I became a volunteer for UNICEF, which deeply influenced my perspective on purpose and impact.”
That experience planted a seed. Sacré wasn’t born from a business plan written in a café. It began as an initiative meant to give back. “My business was initially created as a way to generate contributions for charitable causes, combining creativity with advocacy,” Kamille says. “What began as a small initiative to support a meaningful mission eventually evolved into a brand rooted in creativity, community, and giving back.”
And in a world where brands are often launched for clout, Kamille’s decision to build something anchored in advocacy from the very beginning set her apart early.
Filling a gap before e-commerce became the norm
Back in 2013, online shopping in the Philippines was still far from seamless. Digital checkouts weren’t as accessible. Automated platforms weren’t common. Many students and young entrepreneurs were still figuring out how to sell online without the convenience of modern tools.
Kamille noticed something specific: a growing appetite for stationery that wasn’t basic, boring, or mass-produced.
“Back in 2013, e-commerce platforms were not yet widely accessible, especially for students and small entrepreneurs in the Philippines,” she explains. “I noticed a gap in access to unique and aesthetically designed arts and crafts supplies items like creative notebooks, stationery, and post-it notes that students and young professionals wanted but couldn’t easily find locally.”
So she did what entrepreneurs do best—she built what she wished existed. She began selling “curated, cute, and functional school and office supplies online,” and the response was immediate. Students gravitated toward items that felt personal, expressive, and joyful. In a small way, her products allowed people to show personality through everyday objects.
But running a business at that time required more than good taste. It demanded stamina.
The hard part was being always “online”
Kamille’s early challenges weren’t about lack of customers—they were about how exhausting it was to keep up with them. Without today’s systems, online selling required a lot of manual effort, and customer support wasn’t something you could schedule neatly between classes.
“One of the biggest challenges was operating an online business at a time when digital checkout systems and automated platforms were not yet common,” she says. “Customers preferred a more personal, manual process, and many expected real-time responses and human interaction before completing purchases.”
For a university student, it meant being constantly available. “Since I was still studying, balancing academics while providing near 24/7 customer support was demanding,” she adds.
Still, instead of burning out or giving up, she treated those demands as part of building something real. “I overcame this by building strong customer relationships, being hands-on with communication, and gradually improving systems as online tools became more available.”
Those years shaped her leadership style—patient, adaptable, and grounded in trust. “Those early experiences taught me adaptability, patience, and the importance of customer trust,” she says.
From stationery to lifestyle, and from advocacy to deeper purpose
As the years passed, Sacré grew beyond notebooks and post-it notes. The brand expanded naturally, shaped by Kamille’s evolving creative interests and the community that followed her journey.
“What started as a stationery-focused venture has since grown into a lifestyle brand that now offers charms, crystals, and a pet lifestyle sub-brand,” she shares. The shift wasn’t random. It reflected a broader idea: self-expression isn’t limited to what you write—it’s also reflected in what you wear, collect, believe in, and share with the people (and pets) you love.
And at the heart of it all, Kamille kept the same guiding principle.
“My brand’s mission has always centered on purpose-driven creativity,” she says. “What started as a charity-support initiative focused on helping underserved children has grown into a broader advocacy that now includes animal welfare alongside community support.”
In a crowded market full of brands chasing trends, she believes Sacré stands out because it has intention behind every piece. “What makes Sacré stand out is that every product carries intention — it is not only about aesthetics or functionality, but also about creating meaningful impact through design, storytelling, and social responsibility.”
A global perspective shaped by education
While building Sacré, Kamille also pursued academic excellence abroad. She studied Law and Development at the University of York, part of the UK’s Russell Group universities. The program sharpened her perspective on ethics, sustainability, and inclusive progress—values that continue to influence how she runs her company today.
But Kamille is clear about what truly drives her decisions. “I am guided by compassion, authenticity, and intentional creation,” she says. “I believe businesses should create value beyond profit by uplifting communities, supporting causes, and fostering genuine connections with customers.”
That philosophy also shapes how she defines success. “Success, for me, is not measured solely by revenue or growth, but by impact,” she says. “It means building something sustainable that positively affects people’s lives, supports meaningful causes, and inspires others to pursue purpose-driven entrepreneurship.”
What she’s building next
Like any founder, Kamille has faced setbacks. But instead of treating them as failures, she sees them as part of growth. “Setbacks taught me resilience and flexibility,” she says. “I learned that failure is not an endpoint but feedback.”
And when challenges arise, she leans on what has always fueled Sacré: shared purpose. “I focus on reminding the team of our shared purpose and the bigger mission behind what we do,” she explains. “When people feel connected to a meaningful goal, motivation naturally follows.”
Looking ahead, Kamille’s vision is clear. Sacré is still evolving—and she’s determined to expand it without losing the soul that started it all.
“In the coming years, I aim to expand Sacré into a lifestyle brand that continues to merge creativity, advocacy, and meaningful experiences,” she says. “This includes developing more purpose-driven products, expanding community initiatives, and strengthening our involvement in both social and animal welfare causes while growing our presence locally and internationally.”
