WATCH: From royal families, designer Amina Aranaz goes mass market

MANILA, Philippines — After a Filipino luxury bag designer’s works was featured on Vogue and photographed with European royalty like Queen Mathilde of Belgium, the designer now collaborates with a prêt-a-porter brand to make her luxury bags more accessible to the masses — but only for a limited time.

The collaboration collection, said designer Amina Aranaz-Alunan, is a celebration of Filipino artistry and tradition.

With a laidback resort vibe, the collection features eight handbags and seven fashion pieces that combine the design elements of Aranaz with Plains & Prints’ signature silhouettes and fabric designs.

Back in 1999, three women founded Aranaz, a fashion label that made a name for itself after integrating exotic prints and indigenous artisan crafts in chic, modern handbags. Almost two decades later, the brand has grown into a name known for haute Filipino handbags. The label enjoys a following in both local and international markets, even counting among its patrons some members of European royal families.

Today, the brand’s signature style goes beyond the realm of handbags as it collaborates with a ready-to-wear brand for the first time for a capsule collection that mixes modern and traditional, as well as elegant and practical.

“We believe in the idea of local brands supporting other local brands,” Plains & Prints Vice-President Roxanne Farillas shared. “This collaboration isn’t just a new fashion collection. It’s also a movement to showcase the work of creative visionaries and empower talented craftspeople in the Philippines.”

Aranaz’s iconic flamingo, coconut and pineapple prints are translated into pieces that aim to radiate summer sophistication. The bags, meanwhile, are exquisitely handcrafted by Filipino artisans, using locally-sourced materials.

According to Amina, for the collaboration range, they used sturdy but less expensive materials like rattan and fabrics. Although the collaboration collection is a lot more affordable, she assured that her company put the same amount of time and effort into it as they would in crafting their more expensive, high-end bags used by royalty.  — Video by Deni Bernardo, editing by Kat Leandicho