Rafé Totengco: In a New York state of mind

My daughter and I had the pleasure of spending several days this past summer with Rafé Totengco and his family in Palma de Mallorca. His eldest sister Maricar, a former model, lived part of the time in Spain and was having her 50th birthday party.  We were invited to celebrate with her along with most of her family from the US and other Filipino models from our generation who lived in Europe. For four glorious days, Riana and I laughed, ate, swam, danced, sang, talked and took endless photos with the Totengcos and the rest of the guests and had some of the best times of our lives.

I first met Rafé as a lanky, exuberant teenager tagging along with his sisters Tesa and Maricar to fashion show rehearsals in the ’80s. Quick-witted, highly inquisitive and ambitious, Rafé knew even in those early days that he wanted to be a designer — he talked the part and dressed the part. He pursued his fashion dream relentlessly and passionately until he made his way to the fashion capital of the world, New York City (NYC).

Fall-in-love: Rafé New York celebrates fall 2012 fashion with an ad campaign that features the lightweight Jesse printed tote.

I still remember that day when Rafé first landed in NYC in the early ’90s; his sister Tesa (one of my best friends) had already been living in NYC for several years and I was in town visiting and staying with her. Rafe flew in from Manila and arrived at her apartment bursting with excitement. It didn’t matter that he had to sleep on his sister’s couch until he could afford to rent his own place, he was just happy to be there determined to create a name for himself in international fashion. We went out that same evening, taking Rafé to some of the hottest nightspots and giving him a glimpse of life in the Big Apple, the city that would inevitably become his adopted home.

Fast forward to 1997, the year that he launched his namesake collection Rafé New York; his bag designs of “uptown sophistication meets downtown edge” became an instant hit, earning him a loyal following among New York’s chic urbanites including Hollywood celebrities. In 1998, he became a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and in 2002 was given the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award by the Philippine government. In 2008, he was voted one of “50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business” in the United States and in 2010 was bestowed the Pamana ng Filipino Presidential award for Filipino individuals who bring honor and recognition to his country through excellence and distinction in international fashion design.

In the same year (2010), The Jones Group, Incorporated appointed him as creative director for handbags, a position that gave him creative control of products for the retail, wholesale and international divisions of the company. The Jones Group also acquired his namesake line of Rafé New York bags and it’s now one of the fashion conglomerate’s niche brands.

Rafé Totengco lives and breathes fashion; a consummate traveler, his fashion radar is switched on full-time even on vacation. He calls himself an “equal opportunity inspiration seeker,” like a sponge who is always quick to spot inspirations for his collections. He sketches and takes photos nonstop and jokingly says that he probably learned to sketch before he learned how to speak. On a recent trip to Capri he was drawn to the high-octane glamour and rustic charm of the seaside playground to the European jet set. In Lisbon, he took pleasure in the decaying art deco and art nouveau reliefs on the buildings with rich history and character. In Jodhpur, India, he fell in love with the “Blue City,” an area of blue-painted houses all clustered together spanning the horizon, and in Bali, he captured the bold colors of the temples and the wooden sculptures that define this famous Indonesian getaway.

Apart from taking inspiration from his travels, Rafé designs accessories in the spirit of NYC — a melting pot of European, Asian and American cultures. “Whenever I start a collection for fall/winter, I always think of New York City; she has and always will be a major inspiration for me. I was also influenced this season by art deco architecture, uptown girls partying downtown and geometric art from the ’60s,” Rafé explains. Together with his design team of nine women they have created timeless silhouettes for the Rafé New York fall/winter 2012 collection — bags in beautiful materials with uncompromising attention to functionality and handcraftsmanship, designs that never go out of style.

I particularly love the Tenten Metallic multi-colored pouchette; its lightweight material in a sparkly prism of colors has a youthful, fun appeal, the perfect bag to glam up a casual evening get-up. The black Celia Zip Haircalf pouchette with Rafé’s signature mother-of-pearl tassle defines handheld luxury to a T. If any woman is on the market for one classic black pouchette, this is definitely, it but if you want something more playful yet elegant, the watersnake and metallic lambskin version is a fabulous alternative. The Tesa and Jessie totes are fashionably practical carryalls, the everyday bag that all women must have. The Charlize metallic suede hobo is a beauty of a bag; the sexy shape accentuated by shiny gunmetal hardware and a handcrafted short strap is a certified keeper. Also available in black, this bag is effortlessly chic and classic. The Teresa bag is a versatile, perfectly sized day bag you can sling over your shoulder or carry on your arm. In pink it is adventurous and fashion-forward, in black it is simply gorgeous. The bag’s rectangular shape is totally “in” and the smooth Italian leather finish gives it a soft, feminine touch.  The Isi Crossbody bag in yellow or black is a delightfully petite shoulder bag for the young urban go-getter while the Melsa Crossbody bag in a mixed media of haircalf, patent ostrich trim is the hands-down go-to night bag of the collection. Whichever one you pick among these Rafé New York designs, they will surely provide the exclamation point to complete any fashion statement.

Recognized as one of the most acclaimed new-generation American-international designers in the fashion industry today, Rafé takes great joy in the emotional connections he makes with his clients through the bags that he designs. After seeing this latest collection, I have no doubt many more emotional connections will be made and kept for a very long time to come.

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Rafé’s New York fall/winter 2012 bags are available at Rustan’s Department Stores.