Rafe Totengco: Comes Full Circle

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Rafe Totengco: Comes Full Circle
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It was an absolutely unforgettable homecoming,” beamed Rafe Totengco, the man behind the eponymous New York-based accessory brand, as he talked about the successful opening of his first Manila boutique earlier this year.

The Greenbelt 5 store is the brand’s first in the Philippines, Totengco’s home country.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” says Totengco, who ran a clothing business in Manila until the age of 21. In 1989, he moved to New York to pursue a career in fashion design and in 1995, the Rafe brand was launched. “I’m so proud to open a store there. My life has really come full circle.”

The Manila boutique, designed to mimic the brand’s New York City showroom, boasts baby blue damask patterned walls, rich chocolate brown floors and an eclectic mix of Asian antiques and vintage furniture. The free-standing store carries an edited collection of Rafe handbags, shoes and leather goods which are merchandised to epitomize the brand’s fun, chic aesthetic. In addition, Rafe will produce a collection of limited edition accessories especially for the boutique.

Owned by Ricco and Tina Ocampo, the husband and wife team behind multi-brand fashion boutique Mix, the store is a franchise that grew organically from the pair’s long-standing relationship with Totengco.

“Ricco and Tina have supported me from the very beginning” says Totengco. “From my early years in the Philippines to now, with the store. I couldn’t have imagined two better partners to work with on this endeavor.”

The Rafe boutique is located in the Greenbelt 5 Ayala Mall alongside other established fashion brands such as Balenciaga, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith, Banana Republic and Celestina.

When he moved to New York, Totengco enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and gained experience working as a design assistant.

In 1994, a Soho boutique asked him to produce a collection of belts and watch- bands. When they sold out instantly, the boutique requested for Rafe to design a grouping of handbags to sell alongside the small leather goods. One year later, the first collection of Rafe handbags debuted.

It has been an arduous trek to the top from then.

The Rafe brand has grown to include women’s handbags, shoes and small leather goods. Known for its balance of fashion and function, Rafe blends uptown sophistication with downtown edge, while remaining classic enough to be worn for many seasons to come.

Rafe has also tried his hand at designing shirts. Last month, he created a limited edition t-shirt for the opening of Harvey Nichols Jakarta.

Inspired by his recent trip to Indonesia, the unisex t-shirt features a stylized ikat scarf graphic and rafe chain. The black and white graphic will be silk screened onto a white, one-size-fits-all cotton tee.

The shirt is available exclusively at Harvey Nichols Jakarta. Customers can purchase the rafe t-shirt for Rp. 500.000 ($50) through December. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit the Green Peace Foundation. In addition, the shirt will be given as a gift with purchase.

Over the years, Rafe Totengco has become one of the most acclaimed among the new generation of American designers, garnering awards and nominations from the Accessories Council, The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Fashion Group International and other award-giving bodies in the fashion industry. (www.asianjournal.com)

(Published November 12, 2008 p.mgzn3 LAMDWK)

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