Brown-Bagging it!

Bag designer Rafe Totengco’s life story is the stuff that fashion legends are made of: Boy from the boondocks ups and leaves his thriving local label, plunges head-on into uncharted New York territory armed with nothing but the American Dream, bluffs his way through an order of bags he never even had, and becomes an overnight success – almost a whole decade later.

CFDA’s (Council of Fashion Designers of America) only other Filipino member besides Josie Natori and recently the recipient of the prestigious Best Accessories Designer award given by The Accessories Council (ACE), Rafe realized his lifelong dream of putting up his own free-standing retail boutique in 2000, in Manhattan’s NoHo district. With fans that include celebs like supermodel Giselle Bunchen, Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz, Alexandra von Furstenburg, Helena Christensen and Christy Turlington, with whom he collaborated on bags for her skincare line Sundari, his bags have also been seen on Sex and the City, Will and Grace and the movie Traffic.

Last April 17, Rafe celebrated his first formal "homecoming" by giving a long-awaited inspirational talk at the Filipinas Heritage Library for the Asia Society to a jampacked audience of students, designers, entrepreneurs and other admirers; followed by a bash hosted by Ricco and Tina Ocampo at MIX that premiered his latest collection (they pre-sold 80 bags that night). Rafe took a break from his harried trip to update us on his life over lunch at Kitchen in Greenbelt.

What’s new with Rafe New York?

I think what’s interesting about it is that we’re doing, for the first time, here, in HK, a preview or what we typically call in America a trunk show. Essentially, it’s bringing the collection that’s just been shown to buyers then showing it to customers in advance. Because you know how it is, they’re reading about fall at the height of summer, and summer at the height of fall. The customer has accelerated our buying patterns. So even in my own store at the height of fall, we were selling spring. In a way, there’s a very convoluted sort of calendar because in August we’re shipping fall and people are buying fall because they know they’re gonna wear it in January.

It’s a little twisted, but I think American customers and even Europeans are trained to buy this way. I think the Asian customer still buys for a particular season. So like what we did at Lane Crawford and MIX, we’re taking down names of people who want a certain bag so they know they’re guaranteed that as soon as the bag arrives post-production, they’ll get it first. Gucci does it, Saint Laurent does it, everybody does it. I mean, as soon as it’s out in the magazines, they have a list. We have the same thing. The Dek Tilett bag, the one featured in Preview, was pre-sold before stocks were even shipped. Can I tell you? As soon as we get them to our store, we have two left. It’s insane, so we were telling people, listen, you gotta buy it now before we make 70 pieces, a very limited run. Even these ones at MIX with the broken dot, are almost gone. People are going crazy and they say, "What do you mean you only made 70?" Well, I only made 70. Either you get it now, or get another print next season.

Is this a tactic?

No. 1, yes. No. 2, there are certain things I don’t over-saturate the market with. Leather, you can wear all year long. But with something like this that’s novelty, you wanna build a demand for it. It is a tactic, actually, but I think it’s a great way to do it, but there’s also logistics involved. Like for the Dek Tillet bag you gotta go to Massachusetts, you gotta get the canvas, you gotta wait for it to dry, you gotta do the teflon coating, you gotta pack it up, ship them out to Hong Kong, Hong Kong takes two weeks, you know, but at the same time because they’re novelty, people are like, "What has he got under his sleeve?" Leather, no problem – fall, winter, spring, summer, you’re wearing a leather bag. But anything with a print has got what we call a mortality date. At some point, it’s over. Fine, you can wear it next spring. But if you didn’t get it this season, you’re not going to get it next season.

Certain bags like this hibiscus (or gumamela) raffia, I’m surprised MIX even got it. In New York, gone! Neiman Marcus put it in the catalog, they only bought 20, they had 55 orders! That’s 35 angry customers. They’re not about to tell people to go to Sak’s. It’s insane.

Do you get repeat orders, for, like, your leather staples?

Certain bags, like, for example, MIX has a group that I call my Maiden Lane collection, which is a great working woman’s bag. That one’s in beige but in black, it’s available all year round. Within a month’s time, I can already have it reordered again,

How do you know?

Based on the sell-through reports, which are like a report card. In three weeks, we know if we’ve got a hit in our hands. We know how many per cent we’ve sold. 15 percent in three weeks is bad. Thirty percent in three weeks is OK.

Any surprise hits?

The Maiden Lane collection, as soon as it hit the store, there was a huge response to it. That, to me, has been most rewarding. I’m usually known for my novelty bags and printed people were like, "Oh, my god, you can do simple, too?" Every season, there’s always a surprise hit. Like the raffia bag with the sampaguita print, when I first showed it, people either said, "Ooh, I love it!" or "That’s an expensive straw bag!" We had to reorder it three times. As soon as we started showing it on the market, it came out in Women’s Wear Daily, and all of a sudden… it’s unexplainable. I think they liked the fact that you’re looking at printed raffia as opposed to printed cotton or printed linen. And the fact that there’s a lot going on– it’s got an accordion gusset, round bamboo handle, there’s a lot of elements yet it works. You open the bag and it’s really beautiful. It’s not just a straw bag, you can wear it with a khaki suit, or with jeans, or with a little gingham shirt and khaki.

After seven years in the business, you still don’t know what will be a hit?

There’s no crystal ball. If I had one, I’d be a multi-millionaire right now.

Are you at least able to predict what will sell? Like I’m sure you have favorites in every collection.

We simply re-color them. You loved it in black? Why won’t you want it in white? But always, I have to be careful with that because I don’t want to be redundant. I’m always about novelty. I love to change. I love something new. It’s a syndrome. If I see something for too long, I’m bored with it. I think it’s living in New York. And I travel a lot, I see what styles people buy. When I see the sales report, it’s amazing to see that sometimes, my favorite bag accounts for just 2% of the sales of the collection. And those that are my least favorite, because I’m bored with them, account for 40%. No matter how much fashion you want, at the end of the day, they want a good old leather bag, you know, all beat-up and not worry about it.

From these sell-through reports, are you able to make deductions about people’s fashion buying habits and how they’ve changed or are changing?

Yes. Right now, if it looks good with jeans, it will look good with everything. It’s not anymore if it will look good with black, because you wear black with jeans. Gone are the days when it had to look good with a suit. I mean, who still wears a suit? Except secretaries and flight attendants?

Even they don’t anymore.

Yes, even they don’t. Except maybe lawyers. But you know what? On Fridays, they’re in khakis. They want something that works with everything. Or they need to be able to put everything in it. Everybody schleps.

How did you feel about the attendance at your talk and launch at MIX?

I was amazed that so many people know what I do. It was nice to see the support and to see people putting their money where their mouth is!

What felt better, receiving all those awards in New York or this homecoming?

This felt better, with people coming up to me telling me I inspired them with my life story and my speech, telling me that I moved them. You know, things like "I hope someday I can be like you." One student said, "I know it’s hard because there are so many red lights in this industry, but despite that, you’ve been able to go for the green." Or the [bag designer] girls from Ishq (Candy Reyes and Yael Buencamino) came up to me and said, "Gosh, for us a big production is 12 pieces. Maybe someday…" and they were thrilled that I liked their bags which they wore to my talk. Sofia Zobel and her friends came just to tell me how proud they were to see my stuff around the world and were so thrilled about the fact that I’m Filipino, that every time they see my stuff in the magazines they feel that tingle…that I break the stereotype that we’re all maids.

It was nice to see a lot of students and entrepreneurs. I had a friend tell me, "The things you say and have done–you have no idea how all of it reverberates. If it can happen to you, why can’t it happen to me?" They tell me I’m living by example, suddenly after they read about me, they thought: If he can do it, why can’t we do it? And he thanked me for paving the way.

Judging from last night’s crowd at your launch in MIX, what can you say about the Filipina’s fashion sense?

It was nice to see all that individuality coming through! I mean, 10 years ago, you wouldn’t have seen this much variety. The women there were all kindred fashion spirits. In that way, I’m happy. There was one woman wearing one of my Lulu Di Kiatowski bags, she looked fantastic–understated, chic, simple, just enough. I loved the way she mixed everything. Even Nanette Medved in that beige trench coat dress wearing my bag, just super simple.

What’s nice is that when I left the Philippines in 1990, I either dressed you or you dressed yourself. Now, everybody dresses sexy but not overtly sexy, like last night, everyone was sexy but no one was vulgar. It’s nice to finally see people in color and prints, they’re a little bit more eclectic in their mixing, more individuality – it was their statement, not something straight out of a fashion magazine.

Did seeing that fashion has evolved here inspire you?

I was inspired to see that. For the longest time, I didn’t sell here because I didn’t think the people were ready, but now, they are so ready, they’re ready–and they want it! Before, there was so much resistance to everything new.

What do you think happened? Cable?

Yes, exactly! Remember when we used to tape Style by Elsa Klensch? There was just no global communication back then. Now, we have cable, the Internet.

Now, there’s just a plethora of magazines; at that time, there were no magazines except the newsprints. Now, everyone’s reading magazines, there’s a heightened awareness of fashion, more than ever.

Ever think of making a bridge line to reach the people who can’t afford your $500 bags?

No, I don’t want to dilute my brand, I’d rather put my time into clothing.

What other accessories do you make?

I have cuffs, wristwatch bands for your vintage watches which I did seven years ago and which are right again. It’s very S&M, definitely kinda butch which is nice, studded, riveted, with a very gay-biker sensibility, kinda punky in black, brown and dark red. I also make small wallets which everyone wants now, credit card cases, cosmetic cases but in prints – totally novelty and used by my customers as mini-bags. For fall, I made them in printed velvet, wool, cotton canvas, with very hi-tech finishes made by the same company that supplies Fendi and Prada.

And footwear?

My customers and clients were really happy with my flip-flops and they told me, if you can do these, you can do real shoes! As a creative, restless person, footwear is something I want to do to take the company to a new level.

People have expressed real interest, Lane Crawford, Bergdorf Goodman, but if I’m going to do it you can be sure my shoes will be adorable!

Which shoe designers do you admire?

Roger Vivier, definitely Manolo Blahnik, Ferragamo in the 1950s and ’70s, Robert Clergerie, Ernesto Esposito, Marc Jacobs, Michel Perry, Bruno Frizioni, Sergio Rossi, Christian Loboutin.

Jimmy Choo?

No, because they’re just like Blahniks!

What is it about Manolos?

They’re sex shoes! They’re F*** me shoes! Everybody who wears them feels sexy, fragile because you have to balance on them. I’ve never seen anybody look bad in Manolos!

What will the Rafe shoe be like?

Definitely sexy, strong, a little adventurous. Lately, I’ve been sketching nothing but open-toed sandals with colored toenails, or like French toenails with nude leather. When people ask me why shoes, I say, "Why, I’m Filipino – it’s a national fetish!"

What was winning the ACE award like?

Well, it’s a highly coveted award given to someone chosen by retailers and industry people and not editors. The fact that they chose me meant I was doing something right. At first, when I learned I was nominated, I said I couldn’t because I had to go to Florence and I thought to myself, "Oh no, not another Susan Lucci moment," but I changed my plans when I learned John Bartlett was going to introduce me and give me the award. He said when he met me, I was a fabulous sales person when he was an assistant designer for Ronaldus Shamask. We clicked and kept in touch. He said in his opening speech how he remembered I was the kind of person to whom "No" was never an option. I’d always say "Yes" first then figure out how to get there later. Kinda like, I’ll jump first and say, "OK, I don’t know how to swim, but I’ll figure it out."

Who did you thank?

My mom, who never, ever said "No," or "Why?" to anything – the art lessons I wanted, to wearing red Fiorucci jeans two sizes smaller. Her motto was "Just be crazy and happy."

Did she know you were gay?

She had no clue, or never saw it as something that was wrong. I also thanked my sister Tessa, who was the one who insisted that I come to New York. I was happy here, I didn’t want to leave my business, but she nagged me until I came. And I thanked my partner David, because without him there’d be no Rafe New York. David and I really, really worked our asses off to get the company where it is.

What your talk at the FHL didn’t have enough time to tackle was this "working your ass off" part. What did that entail?

It meant: Doing the shipping, packing, and quality control out of our apartment. Going to the factory all the way in Long Island and walking seven flights up because the lift didn’t work. It was miserable. It meant being the only Asian riding a cheaper bus full of Latinos from the Port Authority and not knowing that you had to say "Para! " to get off. I was also the packer, delivery boy… it meant walking through 7th Avenue carrying 60 inch-wide leather, 30 meters at a time, it meant delivering samples to editors and store executives myself and they’d say, " You’re so sweet to be bringing this to us yourself!" I’d say, "I just wanted to do it personally," or "anything for you," i.e., I can’t afford a messenger.

The night before our first trade show, I literally didn’t sleep. I remember David walking through the blizzard of ’97 from 10 streets in 20 inches of snow with wooden dyes because the product had to get done, it took super-human efforts. We laugh about it now.

Are you rich now?

People may think so, but we’re still struggling every day! It’s never-ending, we’re still a small company trying to make ends meet. At certain times, I’ll have no salary for the week to make way for a Letter of Credit. What’s important to me is that I love what I do and other people love what I do. I mean, my bags are not something people need but want. I guess I must be doing something right – if only I can keep doing it!

More plans?

We’re opening a new store in the West Village in the meat packing district in 2003. Our store now is doing so well it would be crazy not to open another one.

At the talk you said, "When I started out, I was the next Kate Spade. Well, now, I’m still the next Kate Spade!"

People talk about it, it’s funny, why can’t I just be the next me? Why do I have to replace somebody – isn’t there room for all of us? Like, is there such a thing as the Next Inno Sotto? Kate’s market is so different from mine – hers are the preppy, Muffy, Buffy kind of girls, suburban moms with carpools, wealthy upper-crust women. My girls are single, urban, they may be moms but they’re urban. They don’t care who Lily Pulitzer is. They’ll maybe wear loafers, but if they’re not pointy, they don’t want them. They like preppy, but only if it’s twisted. Kate Spade’s bags have not changed, but the beauty to that is that she really knows her customers. That’s her. We clearly have different styles. I would never do what she does, I have way too many ideas to reference her like that.

Fears and worries?

That one day, this will all end. I love it too much, where else can I get a job that pays me for what I love doing, where I get to travel, see the world? This has been an inspiring journey. I’m just this boy from Bacolod, I will always remember that. Every time something happens, I have to pinch myself and say, "Ooh, did that really happen?" Like last night, "Did they all really come for me?" And they did, so, oh, wow it happened to me!