Rafe Totengco takes Nine West to new heights

New York-based designer Rafe Totengco was appointed as the new creative director of Handbags for Nine West by the Jones Apparel Group.

Rafe has been an acclaimed designer ever since he launched his handbag collection in 1995. He was also the recipient of the 2010 Filipino Presidential Award as granted by President Noynoy Aquino. Rafe received the award in the “Pamana ng Filipino” category.

Rafe was born in Bacolod. His bag brand “Rafe” is now being sold in over 60 stores worldwide. Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Fergie of Black Eyed Peas have been seen carrying his bags. He is also the very first accessories designer to create a collection for US-based retailer Target and has also been the recipient of the “Best Accessories Designer” (ACE) award from the Accessories Council, the “Rising Star” award from the Fashion Group International and the “Fresh Faces in Fashion” award from Gen Art. He is also a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

Stylebible.ph, together with Stores Specialists, Inc., the country’s exclusive distributor for Nine West, threw Rafe a party at Member’s Only recently. President and CEO of Branded Businesses at Jones Apparel Group Richard Dickson said: “We are thrilled to welcome Rafe to the Jones family of talent. An important element of our mission is to nurture and attract design and merchant talent to help drive our multi-category, multi-branded business. Rafe’s gift for world-class design, combined with Jones’ resources and brands, will take our handbag business to new heights.”

As creative director for Handbags, Rafe will create a product vision for Jones’ handbag brands and will also create products for the retail, wholesale and international divisions initially focusing on the Nine West and Vintage America brands. 

 (Nine West is available at Rustan’s Makati, Power Plant Mall, Glorietta, Bonifacio High Street, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Megamall, SM The Block, Eastwood Mall, Gateway Mall, TriNoma, Alabang Town Center, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Midtown, Marquee Mall Pampanga and Ayala Center Cebu.)

For everyday people

Summer is all about fashion for everyday people, according to Folded & Hung (F&H).

The apparel brand featured its Summer 2011 Fashion Trends in The Streetcast Fashion Show 2010. The show featured styles inspired by Coachella Fashion and Classic Americana.

With the scorching heat of the desert as the backdrop, the Coachella Music and Arts Fest, held every year in Indio, California, is a celebration of music, visual arts (installation art and sculpture) and fashion.

F&H gives us a summer collection that takes inspiration from what festival goers wear to the three-day Coachella Fest. The Summer 2011 Collection is about “everyday people” fashion. For the women, Summer 2011 key pieces are vintage-inspired long dresses, tunics in lightweight materials, lace tiered skirts and denim shorts. Floral prints are also present as well as loose fitting jumpers and dresses. For the men, it’s a casual mix of resort shirts, soft cargos, relaxed denim, biker graphic tees and patchwork woven tops.

Check out the Summer 2011 F&H collection now!