“Having been in the accessories business for as long as I have been, I’ve seen a lot of trends come and go,” said Rafe Totengco, creative director of handbags for The Jones Group Inc.
Totengco, who joined Jones last year to develop Nine West’s handbag collection, is launching his own collection with the New York-based vendor.
The spring line will retail for between $195 and $450, and will be reminiscent of the designs from Totengco’s well-known namesake handbag line, Rafe New York, which he launched in 1997.
Staying true to his style, Totengco’s collection will incorporate a mix of materials such as Italian leather, straw, linen combined with snake, ikat and tribal prints, woven leather and braided details. The bags will also incorporate an abaca fabric from the designer’s native Philippines called tinalak, which is handwoven by the Tiboli tribe.
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Comprised of about 15 styles, the line includes hand-embroidered clutches and mother-of-pearl, snake and wood minaudières crafted in the Philippines. Giving a nod to his youth spent growing up in the tropics, Totengco uses a vibrant color palette that includes coral, orange and indigo blue.
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“Like my bags, I’m a mix myself. I’m a mutt. We’re all mutts,” the designer said, referring to the materials he uses.
While acknowledging that mixing materials helps keep the price point manageable, which is “important” in today’s economy, Totengco said what trumps price is “authenticity.”
“When you’re designing, I think you cannot avoid being aware of what’s going on in the world, but buying is emotional. Every purchase you make must be emotional,” he said. “If I design with a price point in mind, I’m going to lose.”
Emotion is something Totengco hopes will translate to consumers next year, as competition in the contemporary handbag market is already crowded.
“The reality is, we’re all after the same chic girl who shops high and low,” he said, explaining that brands are clamoring for the “savvy girl” who shops at Barney’s and Zara. “There’s so much sameness out there.”
With a slew of industry recognition under his belt already, Totengco seems up for the challenge.
When asked if this spring collection is a prelude to more things at Jones, Totengco, who was maniacally sketching during the interview, paused.
“The best part of being here [at Jones] is that the possibilities are endless,” he said.