Harriet Ann Dy
OF COURSE, you've heard about
Raffy Totengco and his Rafe bag
designs that have become a
fixture in the arms of many of
New York's elite. But Raffy's
creations are not the only
designs that have captured the
fancy of the foreign market.
For the past years now,
twentysomething Sharon
Fletcher-Azanza and cousin Kitty
Kierulf's handwoven abaca bags,
jute carryalls, pandan totes and
tinalak mailman's pouches have
carved a following abroad.
The duo is behind Talimaya Gift and Fashion Corp. (formerly
managed by their aunt, Jojo Zabarte) and has been supplying
their creations to upscale Japanese, American and Spanish retail
chains abroad.
''I've always loved native bags but I could never find ones that
are stylized, that I could wear and feel fun and sophisticated and
not feel like a native,'' says Sharon, a self-confessed bag addict.
In 1993, upon her return from school in Paris, she started toying
around with bag designs as a hobby and was surprised when
buyers came knocking.
But marriage and children followed, and it was only in 1997,
when Laura Ashley placed an order, that Sharon began to have
second thoughts about pursuing the business.
Gradually, she started designing again, producing an array of
designs that meld local materials with classic and trendy shapes
and shades.
Details
''Naturals are big this season,'' says Sharon. ''And everyone still
want pastels.''
More than their chic
designs, both are
proud of the
craftsmanship;
well-sewed double
linings, finished edges
and good quality
leather materials have
become a trademark.
The difference is in the
details. Unlike your
usual pandan totes, for example, Talimaya's pandan pieces are
unvarnished and trendy--with Sharon playing them up with
rooster feathers and pinokpok fringes ? la Tom Ford.
For evening bags, they mix fine, handwoven abaca with lame
threads and use metallic handles for an elegant-trendy twist.
They regularly experiment with colors--their sky blue, baby pink
and butter abaca twine minitotes are winners--and print and dye
on abaca fabric. They also use laminated bark and banig
weaves for handles.
They come out with 60-75 designs per collection twice a year, in
April and October, and won an award of Best Product Collection
from Citem last year.
According to Sharon, Japanese buyers are usually ''willing to
pay for a good, well-constructed bag.'' They like classic designs
in finer fabrics such as tinalak, compared to Americans who are
price-conscious but trendier.
Like the Japanese, Filipinos prefer classic designs. Sharon
notes, however, that perhaps they're a tad too classic, citing
how tinalak mailman's bag gathered dust at Store Company Inc.
(where they sell their overruns) even as it flew off the shelves
abroad. As expected, jute carryalls remain a local favorite.
Also expanding her fashion collection to include bags is young
designer Michele Sison.
Brides
She says she embarked on her current project by accident, when
she had to whip up matching accessories for her brides, some of
whom dressed their entourage in such uncommon colors as
butter yellow and chartreuse green.
For her bride Mimi
Soriano, for example, she
designed a drawstring
satin pouch wrapped in
rayon and used tassles.
For Mita Montinola, she
designed a fringed
pouch.
But it was friend and
publicist Tim Yap's
sprained arm that really kicked off her production. When
Michele bumped into him last February at abg's, he requested
for a more stylish sling that would go well with his outfits. The
result? A leather sling that doubles as body bag. She has
baptized her functional leather bags as ''funkskin.''
In her latest collection, however, Michele has since turned east
for inspiration. ''I love buddhas,'' she says, explaining the
embroidered minibuddhas in her envelope bags.
Roses, peonies and vines are also favorite design patterns. ''A
flower in bloom is a silhouette I've always been attracted to,''
she says.
The bags are mostly in silk or satin, their sharp rectangular
shapes softened by fabrics and feminine patterns. Some are
shaped like a flattened pouch.
Like clothes, each design is available in only three sizes: small,
medium and large.
''I find it funny when petite women carry around big totes, it's
not unlike dragging a maleta,'' says Michele.
For more formal occasions, she has come up with a sleeker,
beaded collection. The embroidery, too, is more ornate. She has
no plans of selling them in stores, they are custom-made.
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