From the Phillipines to Nine West: Rafe’s Inspiring Journey Through Handbag Design

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Hi and welcome to the Handbag Designer 101 podcast with your host, Emily Blumenthal, handbag Designer Expert and Handbag Fairy Godmother, where we cover everything about handbags from making, marketing, designing and talking to handbag designers and industry experts about what it takes to make a successful handbag.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Welcome, rapi to Tango to the Handbag Designer 101 podcast.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Rafe, you are the founder, creator, creative director of pretty much everything.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Rafe Correct.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, that is correct.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>How many years has it been?

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<v Rafe Totengco>Since I launched God the first time, 98?

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<v Rafe Totengco>.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I didn't even know it was that long.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes, oh my God.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, still at it.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Listen, if we're going to OG status, I mean I brought you to SCAD.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>They were like find a designer to bring with you.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm like I'm calling Rapi.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>That was a fun weekend.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, yes, no, completely, that was fun oh my gosh.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So were you born in the Philippines or were you born here?

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<v Rafe Totengco>I was born in the Philippines when I moved to New York in 1989.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>How old were you?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>No pressure 21.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So you did all of your schooling in the Philippines.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, yes, yes.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So no, it was as.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I wanted to come to New York because when I was in the Philippines, I already had a business.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I was 18, I think I had an atelier of like 30 workers doing clothes.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>How do you live in an atelier at 18?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And how are you adults enough to do that?

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<v Rafe Totengco>Oh well, I wasn't, but kind of worked out.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It started with a seamstress on my kitchen table, essentially, and it grew from there and people wanted the clothes I was making and before I knew it I was like, oh, we need more, we need more, we need a tailor, we need somebody.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So you were in high school, do you?

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<v Rafe Totengco>At first I would say like freshman college.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Okay, so is anyone in your family like within the crafts world.

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<v Rafe Totengco>No, actually both of my sisters at that time in the Philippines were fashion models, so they were my exposure to fashion, which was so you're the youngest.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, and it was a great education actually, because I could see.

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<v Rafe Totengco>For me, it was really like a eureka moment to see these women, who were essentially college girls, transform themselves into like creatures of the night, with all these incredible fashion and modeling, and this whole world was so seductive to a teenager and I was hooked, I loved it and I was making clothes for myself.

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<v Rafe Totengco>At that time there was no fast fashion, so you really had you were the fast fashion.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Well, as fast as I could make them.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I mean because I was literally making clothes for friends to wear every weekend for so you taught yourself how to use a machine.

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<v Rafe Totengco>No, I didn't sew any of it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I had seamstresses and a tailor to do all that stuff.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I would sketch it and they would make it for me and it was kind of like a.

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<v Rafe Totengco>You know, you learn as you go.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Were you going to pull materials and fabrics?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, I know that, but we had a whole.

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<v Rafe Totengco>We had a big area for wholesale fabrics and stuff like that and you know I had a runner who would like run there every day to like buy fabrics and buttons and all that stuff.

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<v Rafe Totengco>And at that time in the Philippines everything was so like preppy and I really was kind of more thinking about like Yoji and Rae Kawakubo, so that was more my vibe and I couldn't get any of those clothes there.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So I was just like, let me emulate what they're doing and see if I can create kind of like in the mood of this course, at that time there was only magazines, right, and I couldn't even afford the magazines I wanted to buy because ID was so expensive.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It was like ID Magazine.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I can't Wait.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Can I ask you, though the designers?

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<v Rafe Totengco>you just referenced, oh my.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>God, no, hey, I'm here for it, but the designers that were your inspiration were Asian designers.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Is that why?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Because you know.

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<v Rafe Totengco>No, I also love gold.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, well, that I love.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I love Claude Montana, like all of those you know.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, I kind of loved all of them, the Americans, interestingly, not so much, because I just thought clothes were a little basic, except Zoran.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I don't know if you remember Zoran.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Oh yeah, and it was one collection Calvin did.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It was kind of like so not Calvin, which I loved.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It was like very kind of Moroccan, kind of, you know, eastern inspired.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, wow, this is, and actually okay, now count to think of it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I also love Perry Ellis.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Oh, when he was you know Silhouettes and you know it was like preppy but also like oversized, so he did a lot of things that were interesting.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Oh and sorry, norma Kamali, of course.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>God bless her.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>She still has a bang.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, no, absolutely, absolutely, so, yeah, so I was inspired.

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<v Rafe Totengco>By all of that.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So if it wasn't for your sisters?

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<v Rafe Totengco>be totally For me and my friends.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Actually, I only started dressing my sisters later because my sisters at the beginning were like, oh you know, our little brother is trying his little thing, you know.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Bless.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Oh, I was getting it Eventually, like a lot of people were starting to wear my clothes.

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<v Rafe Totengco>That's when you were just like, hmm, maybe you can make me something, you know.

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<v Rafe Totengco>You know, it was fun.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It was fun.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So it never dawned on you to get a sewing machine and do it yourself.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Well.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So that was my frustration.

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<v Rafe Totengco>That's why I moved to New York to go to FIT to learn, because certain things I wanted to do and then see you trust, couldn't do it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, wait, what do you mean?

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<v Rafe Totengco>You don't know how to do it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>She's like, no, I don't know how to do it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I'm like, ah, you know something was wrong.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I did know how to fix it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>That was very frustrating for me.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So I wanted to learn the technicalities and how things were made and understand why certain things drape this way and, you know, just kind of go a little deeper, beyond sketching and giving it to a seamstress and a petting.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>People don't seem to realize that understanding how materials work back then wasn't perceived scientific.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>But it really is it really is why certain materials work together, why one drapes one doesn't Right.

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<v Rafe Totengco>You want to come back, do it in silk, don't do it in linen.

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<v Rafe Totengco>You know stuff like that.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You have to understand the fibrous content about things work and you know ex-percentage cotton.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, that's straight up chemistry and math.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, yeah, and there's just like there's so much as well, like techniques that I just didn't know.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Like I would look at certain things from, like you know, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar or, like you know, italian magazines, and it'd be like so, why does this look like that?

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<v Rafe Totengco>Why is this sleeve doing that?

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<v Rafe Totengco>Like, what's the secret there?

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<v Rafe Totengco>So, yeah, so I enrolled in FIT.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Was that a big deal Must have been.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It was.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I was really actually frightened, because I was like oh my God, what if I'm not at it?

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<v Rafe Totengco>Good, what if I suck?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Do you remember the flight to New York Cause that's a long one.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, no, it was kind of exciting Actually.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I flew through LA.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I stopped in LA first to see relatives, which was kind of like a nice sort of way to get into, you know, sort of segue into New York.

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<v Rafe Totengco>And I remember arriving in New York in the evening from LA and it was like Terrify.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Actually I wasn't terrified, I was excited.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, oh my God, here it is, here we go, let's do this.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It was fun, it was just like you know, I always say I love leaving and I love coming back, because just something about like that skyline and those lights coming in, that was, you know, for me like a magnet.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, oh my God, here we go.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Where did you live?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Did you live in the dorms?

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<v Rafe Totengco>No, my sister was living here at the time, so she Tessa she goes back to Tessa.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, so she lived in the Upper East Side, 89th Street.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, 89th Street yeah, really far from FIT, oh my God.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, but it was.

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<v Rafe Totengco>You know it was.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It was a five floor walk up and you know we did it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It was.

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<v Rafe Totengco>You know that was home and I slept in a fluton and you know it was a tiny, tiny apartment and we made it work and then we got downtown, but yeah, you and Tessa, so your second older sister was there before you.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, exactly yeah, tessa was the first to move to New York.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, so she sort of paved the way for me, in a sense, because she's actually the one who sort of convinced me to come to New York.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Because she's like like, all this stuff you're doing in the Philippines, this is fun.

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<v Rafe Totengco>She's like like go play with the big boys.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Hmm, that's were you.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Were you as close with her before you moved?

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<v Rafe Totengco>Like I have to say, we got closer as I moved, obviously because we had, you know, we had to live together, and it was also like the first time, I think, we actually interacted as adults.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Right.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Before then, before that, I was just like her little brother.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Right, right, right, and also like who's buying food and who's doing this?

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, we had to you know, yeah, we had to sort of yeah coexist, and so it was good.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>One of the things I like about FIT students.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean I've taught at all three schools and I think it's because FIT is a SUNY, a state school of New York, versus Parsons, which is, of course, private.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>But the majority of my students at FIT have always worked.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And I think it's because.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Number one the expectation of being an FIT student is that you need to work, because you know any student work.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Their salt only goes for two years if you're an industry person.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And number two, because of the cost most people are paying their own way.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Did you work while you were going to school?

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, I was working for a manufacturing company and actually I really loved it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I loved going to class in the evening because it worked.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So everything I did and during the day sort of reinforced what I was doing in the evening.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So it was great because I was kind of really into it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Like you know, like day to night literally, like I would there till 10 o'clock at night, because my classes went from like six o'clock to 10 o'clock at night for like I've taught those classes.

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<v Rafe Totengco>not a fan, but yeah yeah, no, I mean, I was there for like four nights a week.

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<v Rafe Totengco>It was intense but at the same time, because there were evening classes every, I would say, my interaction with the other students, my classmates, were like they were listen, if you're going to be there from six to 10 at night, you're not there to party, you're there to learn.

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<v Rafe Totengco>And I loved it.

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<v Rafe Totengco>And that was to me like I'm still friends with the people I met there, some of the people that I met there, because they were serious, you know, they were there to learn.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So I kind of like that.

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<v Rafe Totengco>That sort of that energy of, like you know, intensity was really, I mean, for me.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I thrived on it.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, I mean you're like that's the age to do it.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>How did you transition from you know making a peril on your kitchen table to realizing that handbags would be your jam?

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<v Rafe Totengco>You know, to be honest, I really thought that I would be doing clothing in New York.

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<v Rafe Totengco>But then, when I was working for this company, I realized within the first year that I was like, oh my God, to actually produce a clothing collection, one I don't know what I would have to sell, I have nothing, but it just like financially impossible unless I didn't have deep pockets.

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<v Rafe Totengco>We don't, you know, middle class background.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I did come from, like you know, a trustee farion.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You know that means, and who missed out?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Talk about it, you know.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, no, it was wrong family.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, no, I was just like I looked at those bills because I would sign off on the bills you know to give to accounting and I'd be like, oh my God, the buttons of the buttons.

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<v Rafe Totengco>This season was 25,000 and those are just samples.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Right.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Ouch, like that's just buttons, we're not even looking at the fabric.

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<v Rafe Totengco>And I was like pattern makers, this and that, and when you start to add all of that up without even like really adding it up, just like literally looking at the warehouse or even the sample room, sample workers, and I was just like, oh my God, that's to produce samples, yeah, totally.

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<v Rafe Totengco>I was just like no, I can't.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So that I somehow quickly realized that at least with accessories it's one size fits most.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yep and size agnostic, non-judgmental fashion.

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<v Rafe Totengco>Exactly right.

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<v Rafe Totengco>And also age list in a way, and not size specific as well.

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<v Rafe Totengco>So that was to me it was like okay, so I can still be in fashion, work for myself and not go under.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Right, so much yeah.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>How long after you graduated did you start your own line?

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<v Rafe Totengco>I never graduated.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>How many years in did you go?

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<v Rafe Totengco>You know, I have crazily enough, I had like two or three classes left.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Dude, you should be chat to them.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You get that honorary degree Really.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, man, I'll make a phone call for you.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Let me know.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, let me say I'm putting that honorary degree.

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<v Rafe Totengco>The crazy thing is they actually asked me years later to come and speak to the graduating class and Joyce Brown backstage said to me what year did you graduate?

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<v Rafe Totengco>I was like honey bunny, yeah, I can't tell you.

00:13:14.649 --> 00:13:15.932
<v Rafe Totengco>I never finished.

00:13:15.932 --> 00:13:16.427
<v Rafe Totengco>She goes.

00:13:16.427 --> 00:13:17.337
<v Rafe Totengco>Oh, please don't share that.

00:13:18.485 --> 00:13:20.509
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm like no, no, no, did you end up speaking?

00:13:20.509 --> 00:13:22.735
<v Emily Blumenthal>I did, I spoke fast, man.

00:13:22.735 --> 00:13:25.631
<v Emily Blumenthal>And the proud students, oh my God.

00:13:27.128 --> 00:13:34.865
<v Rafe Totengco>No, it was funny, my assistants at that time they were like holding it in the audience because they were like, oh my God, he's speaking to the graduating class.

00:13:35.970 --> 00:13:37.397
<v Emily Blumenthal>I had another secret man.

00:13:37.397 --> 00:13:45.278
<v Emily Blumenthal>I guess that preceded social or having bad people working for you to rat you out Like no.

00:13:47.528 --> 00:13:48.993
<v Rafe Totengco>Actually, I thought it was just kind of funny.

00:13:48.993 --> 00:13:51.572
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like really they want me to speak to the graduating class.

00:13:51.774 --> 00:13:55.530
<v Emily Blumenthal>Okay, that's amazing, that is amazing.

00:13:55.530 --> 00:14:01.490
<v Emily Blumenthal>So you had started a handbag line whilst you were there and then was like forget it, I might as well just keep going.

00:14:01.931 --> 00:14:08.610
<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, I mean essentially because I got really busy with manufacturing and I was kind of doing everything myself initially.

00:14:08.951 --> 00:14:15.015
<v Emily Blumenthal>I just did have the time to how did you decide what your anchor piece, your core silhouette, would be?

00:14:15.015 --> 00:14:16.772
<v Emily Blumenthal>How did you decide the materials?

00:14:16.772 --> 00:14:22.857
<v Emily Blumenthal>How did you go through that process so young, while still having a day job and work and go to school?

00:14:23.527 --> 00:14:24.731
<v Rafe Totengco>God, I can't even remember.

00:14:24.731 --> 00:15:01.014
<v Rafe Totengco>I think it was mostly like the beginning was like okay, I want to do these silhouettes and I wanted something that was kind of easy, somewhat classic, but I wanted them at that time, you know, I wanted them to be in PVC, like patent PVC, which I started out with belts, with skinny belts, and then skinny belts, I did wristbands, and then actually it kind of happened by accident, I walked into a store and I was selling them, you know, wristbands and belts, Fred Siegel, Big Drop, you imagine and then I remember the buyer was like you make bags?

00:15:01.205 --> 00:15:03.812
<v Emily Blumenthal>I was like of course, of course, yeah.

00:15:04.293 --> 00:15:05.134
<v Rafe Totengco>Yes to it all.

00:15:05.134 --> 00:15:10.672
<v Rafe Totengco>It's just, you know, running late when I'm like, oh my God, I don't even know what's this bag look like?

00:15:10.672 --> 00:15:19.712
<v Rafe Totengco>So yeah, I mean like I remember like designing the collection in a cafe with my roommate at that time and she was like what are you doing?

00:15:19.712 --> 00:15:22.052
<v Rafe Totengco>I'm like I'm designing a collection of handbags.

00:15:22.052 --> 00:15:23.167
<v Rafe Totengco>She's like what Wait?

00:15:23.187 --> 00:15:24.142
<v Emily Blumenthal>your roommate, you mean your sister.

00:15:25.769 --> 00:15:33.775
<v Rafe Totengco>Well, she had already her own apartment and I had her own apartment and I had a roommate and we were just laughing it off like having coffee, and I was just sketching away.

00:15:33.775 --> 00:15:38.485
<v Rafe Totengco>I didn't know what I was doing, right, yeah, it was one of those things and it's just funny.

00:15:38.485 --> 00:15:46.173
<v Rafe Totengco>Somehow, like Mademoiselle magazine heard about me, I don't remember how, so the editor was like I want to come and see the collection.

00:15:46.173 --> 00:15:47.309
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, oh, okay.

00:15:47.767 --> 00:15:48.650
<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh damn, here we go.

00:15:49.032 --> 00:15:49.836
<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, here we go.

00:15:49.836 --> 00:16:06.048
<v Rafe Totengco>Oh, so she came in with I think I had like three bags and belts and whatever and I displayed them on like a garden, like a planter Right Up there in the apartment and she was really sweet and she was like you should go and meet Ann Slowy.

00:16:06.048 --> 00:16:08.105
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, oh, okay, who?

00:16:08.105 --> 00:16:09.047
<v Rafe Totengco>Oh?

00:16:09.087 --> 00:16:09.909
<v Emily Blumenthal>man Ann Slowy.

00:16:09.909 --> 00:16:12.365
<v Emily Blumenthal>I was like okay, yeah, that predated Google.

00:16:12.365 --> 00:16:13.984
<v Emily Blumenthal>You're like sure, where do I look her up?

00:16:14.024 --> 00:16:16.866
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, so I actually you're like it's so funny.

00:16:16.866 --> 00:16:19.609
<v Rafe Totengco>I used to like so ignorance is bliss.

00:16:19.609 --> 00:16:21.748
<v Rafe Totengco>I showed up W magazine.

00:16:21.748 --> 00:16:23.251
<v Rafe Totengco>I'm like I'm here to see Ann Slowy.

00:16:23.251 --> 00:16:24.583
<v Rafe Totengco>You're like you have an appointment.

00:16:24.583 --> 00:16:25.466
<v Rafe Totengco>No, no.

00:16:25.466 --> 00:16:26.068
<v Rafe Totengco>Here.

00:16:26.500 --> 00:16:27.423
<v Emily Blumenthal>But I have my bags.

00:16:27.423 --> 00:16:28.505
<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh my God, so crazy.

00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:34.851
<v Rafe Totengco>And Ann was coming in from lunch at, the security guard was like there's a guy here to see you.

00:16:34.851 --> 00:16:39.059
<v Rafe Totengco>And she was like oh, hi, I'm like, hi, I'm a handbag designer, blah, blah, blah.

00:16:39.059 --> 00:16:40.184
<v Rafe Totengco>I'd like to show you my collection.

00:16:40.184 --> 00:16:41.383
<v Rafe Totengco>She's like sure.

00:16:41.543 --> 00:16:41.924
<v Emily Blumenthal>Okay.

00:16:42.847 --> 00:16:43.951
<v Rafe Totengco>You imagine no.

00:16:45.041 --> 00:16:45.945
<v Emily Blumenthal>Absolutely not.

00:16:46.620 --> 00:16:47.528
<v Rafe Totengco>And then she asked me.

00:16:47.528 --> 00:16:51.808
<v Rafe Totengco>She was like, oh, here's a really cute, because when we're working on a story, can you make a bag for me?

00:16:51.808 --> 00:16:52.703
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like sure.

00:16:52.703 --> 00:16:57.004
<v Rafe Totengco>And I'm like okay, she's like I'm doing a cork story, can you do a cork bag?

00:16:57.004 --> 00:16:58.667
<v Rafe Totengco>I'm like sure.

00:16:58.667 --> 00:17:02.850
<v Rafe Totengco>So I had a work bag made that was a fold over clutch break.

00:17:02.980 --> 00:17:05.048
<v Emily Blumenthal>Where did you, where did you get the cork from?

00:17:06.521 --> 00:17:06.541
<v Rafe Totengco>I?

00:17:06.541 --> 00:17:07.465
<v Rafe Totengco>Where did I buy it from?

00:17:07.465 --> 00:17:11.211
<v Rafe Totengco>I bought it from I forget which company, but I bought it like online.

00:17:11.211 --> 00:17:12.122
<v Rafe Totengco>No, actually.

00:17:12.122 --> 00:17:14.028
<v Rafe Totengco>No, I bought it for 38th street.

00:17:14.288 --> 00:17:16.265
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, I was going to say online, that's cute.

00:17:16.265 --> 00:17:17.608
<v Emily Blumenthal>No, back then it's like 30.

00:17:17.648 --> 00:17:18.550
<v Rafe Totengco>No, no, no, no, no, no.

00:17:18.550 --> 00:17:20.535
<v Rafe Totengco>And it was so difficult to work with.

00:17:20.535 --> 00:17:20.917
<v Rafe Totengco>Was that great?

00:17:21.863 --> 00:17:28.425
<v Emily Blumenthal>You know, I was consulting with one designer who was obsessed with cork like obsessed, and I've worked with Amrim cork.

00:17:28.425 --> 00:17:31.339
<v Emily Blumenthal>They hired, the Himmich works and, yes, it's sustainable.

00:17:31.339 --> 00:17:32.374
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes, it's eco.

00:17:32.374 --> 00:17:32.799
<v Emily Blumenthal>Blah, blah, blah.

00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:34.420
<v Emily Blumenthal>And no one wants a fully cork bag.

00:17:34.420 --> 00:17:36.913
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, it's a great editorial piece but nobody wants it.

00:17:36.913 --> 00:17:38.960
<v Emily Blumenthal>Exactly Right and it's hard to work with.

00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:41.448
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes, it was good for shoes, not good for bags.

00:17:41.648 --> 00:17:41.849
<v Rafe Totengco>Right.

00:17:41.849 --> 00:17:52.488
<v Rafe Totengco>So I did a fold over clutch trimmed in leather, when it was this big sort of 70s with a you know cut out frame and a loop coming through, and I sent it to her.

00:17:52.488 --> 00:17:55.619
<v Rafe Totengco>And I was just so frightened because I was like, oh my God, what if it doesn't make it?

00:17:55.619 --> 00:17:57.528
<v Rafe Totengco>I spent all this money, blah, blah, blah.

00:17:57.528 --> 00:18:00.192
<v Rafe Totengco>And then she called me afterwards.

00:18:00.192 --> 00:18:01.775
<v Rafe Totengco>She's like oh, are you ready to pick up the clutch?

00:18:01.775 --> 00:18:03.884
<v Rafe Totengco>I said okay, I didn't even say anything.

00:18:03.884 --> 00:18:07.400
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, yeah, she's like well, do you want to know if it made it?

00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:09.933
<v Rafe Totengco>And I'm just here to pick up the clutch.

00:18:09.933 --> 00:18:12.665
<v Rafe Totengco>Of course I was my own messenger.

00:18:12.846 --> 00:18:13.388
<v Emily Blumenthal>Right yeah.

00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:16.468
<v Rafe Totengco>And she was like no, it made it to the page, you'll see.

00:18:16.468 --> 00:18:17.510
<v Rafe Totengco>And I was like, okay.

00:18:17.510 --> 00:18:24.191
<v Rafe Totengco>And then you know, like months later it came out as a full page with luxury shoes and my clutch at the center.

00:18:24.191 --> 00:18:29.819
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, and then Bergdorf's called like oh, we'd like to see your collection.

00:18:29.819 --> 00:18:31.046
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, oh shit.

00:18:33.760 --> 00:18:36.127
<v Emily Blumenthal>You were in a bucket of happy accidents with this, yeah.

00:18:36.147 --> 00:18:40.140
<v Rafe Totengco>Let me tell you, no, it was kind of just like, yeah, one thing after another.

00:18:40.361 --> 00:18:41.365
<v Emily Blumenthal>Right place, right time.

00:18:41.686 --> 00:18:42.964
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, no, it was fun.

00:18:42.964 --> 00:18:47.259
<v Rafe Totengco>I kind of went with the flow and you know, Bergdorf's was like incredible.

00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:57.911
<v Rafe Totengco>The fashion director at that time was so sweet and so supportive and, you know, gave me a lot of advice and it was nice and I told that was a time where they were actually looking for new people.

00:18:57.911 --> 00:19:01.380
<v Rafe Totengco>So it was, you know, a good time to be doing that.

00:19:01.380 --> 00:19:01.662
<v Rafe Totengco>How?

00:19:01.781 --> 00:19:03.432
<v Emily Blumenthal>did you determine your like?

00:19:03.432 --> 00:19:16.971
<v Emily Blumenthal>You know such a different time which I hate saying dates us, but you know how vested were you in your, your customer, with the price point, like were you going to Bergdorf's like Nothing.

00:19:17.121 --> 00:19:28.991
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean initially I didn't know at all, I was just kind of going with, first of all, the aesthetic of what I liked, which was, you know, very much inspired by vintage bags and bought like in 26 Street flea market.

00:19:29.292 --> 00:19:29.492
<v Emily Blumenthal>Right.

00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.308
<v Rafe Totengco>I used to buy them from Anne Carina Vulpie, vulpie, my God, I was like her regular.

00:19:34.308 --> 00:19:36.884
<v Rafe Totengco>Every Saturday I was there Like hey, anna, what's new?

00:19:36.884 --> 00:19:45.271
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, I would buy all these vintage bags and I would kind of dissect them and kind of rework them so that I could kind of make your own DNA tied to it.

00:19:45.740 --> 00:19:56.220
<v Rafe Totengco>Well, also because I'm so much of the vintage bags you can't really do anymore the way they are Right, it's like hardware doesn't, you know, doesn't function the way they use to, and how do you simplify things.

00:19:56.220 --> 00:20:00.557
<v Rafe Totengco>So it was like a really good like lesson for me in construction as well.

00:20:00.557 --> 00:20:07.288
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, and initially it was all just the visual and also kind of looking at the bag and be like, so I think I can sell this for this much.

00:20:07.288 --> 00:20:21.467
<v Rafe Totengco>So then you know, subdivide that into like what the wholesale is, without necessarily running up the real cost of it, because I was frightened of the real cost, because I, you know, I'm sure that actually I know now that back in those days I wasn't making money.

00:20:21.467 --> 00:20:26.858
<v Rafe Totengco>I was making up for this to pay for it, but not to like earn a living Right.

00:20:26.878 --> 00:20:27.019
<v Emily Blumenthal>Right.

00:20:27.846 --> 00:20:34.859
<v Rafe Totengco>You know, it was literally just circular right, like something sold and you make a new one and I didn't know what I was doing.

00:20:34.859 --> 00:20:38.010
<v Rafe Totengco>But you know it was a good lesson.

00:20:39.300 --> 00:20:43.726
<v Emily Blumenthal>If you ever wanted to start a handbag brand and you didn't know where to start, this is for you.

00:20:43.726 --> 00:20:49.593
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00:20:49.593 --> 00:20:54.251
<v Emily Blumenthal>If you have a handbag brand and need strategy and direction, this is for you.

00:20:54.251 --> 00:21:02.660
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm Emily Blumenthal, handbag designer expert and handbag fairy godmother, and this is the handbag designer one-on-one masterclass.

00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:10.013
<v Emily Blumenthal>Over the next 10 classes, I will break down everything you need to know to make, manufacture and market a handbag brand.

00:21:10.013 --> 00:21:18.779
<v Emily Blumenthal>Broken down to ensure that you will not only skip steps in the handbag building process, but also to save money to avoid the learning curve of costly mistakes.

00:21:19.924 --> 00:21:29.940
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00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:37.154
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm going to show you like I have countless brands to create in this in-depth course, from sketch to sample to sale.

00:21:37.154 --> 00:21:46.500
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00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:50.259
<v Emily Blumenthal>So let's get started and you'll be the creator of the next it bag.

00:21:50.259 --> 00:21:54.579
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00:21:54.579 --> 00:22:07.537
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00:22:07.537 --> 00:22:13.339
<v Emily Blumenthal>When, at which point, were you officially a business?

00:22:13.339 --> 00:22:19.700
<v Emily Blumenthal>Do you remember the moment where you were like, okay, I need to be conscientious, I need overhead, I need an office.

00:22:19.700 --> 00:22:20.792
<v Emily Blumenthal>Like when did all that hit?

00:22:23.567 --> 00:22:28.471
<v Rafe Totengco>After, I would say, the first trade show that I joined, which was at the plaza at that time, the accessories circuit, the plaza.

00:22:28.471 --> 00:22:31.849
<v Rafe Totengco>How did you know to go to a?

00:22:31.849 --> 00:22:32.513
<v Rafe Totengco>How did you?

00:22:32.534 --> 00:22:34.144
<v Emily Blumenthal>know to do a trade show at the time, at least for all.

00:22:36.141 --> 00:22:42.759
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, I think somebody had reached out to me to join, or I think my showroom was joining at that time and I kind of joined the showroom.

00:22:42.759 --> 00:22:48.238
<v Rafe Totengco>I don't remember exactly, but it was a blizzard of 90.

00:22:48.238 --> 00:22:48.700
<v Rafe Totengco>When was that blizzard?

00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:56.936
<v Rafe Totengco>There was a big blizzard in New York and because all the buyers were stuck in the plaza, everybody kept walking into our room.

00:22:56.957 --> 00:23:04.160
<v Rafe Totengco>And you know, I met a lot of buyers and a lot of like and actually had a lot of orders which was kind of like, wow, okay, so this is real now.

00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:05.419
<v Rafe Totengco>All right, what do I do with this?

00:23:05.419 --> 00:23:07.450
<v Rafe Totengco>This is beyond now, just Bergdorf-Goodman Right.

00:23:07.450 --> 00:23:12.900
<v Rafe Totengco>So it was yeah, and you know, and after that I was like, okay, let me get my first assistant.

00:23:12.900 --> 00:23:14.027
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, it was just like one step at a time.

00:23:14.027 --> 00:23:24.474
<v Rafe Totengco>I literally started very, very small with one assistant and we kind of did everything and it was amazing, I had a partner at the time, my life partner and business partner.

00:23:24.474 --> 00:23:30.097
<v Rafe Totengco>You know, we both kind of put our savings to the brather and, like you know, kind of started from there.

00:23:30.097 --> 00:23:31.926
<v Rafe Totengco>Really, it was, you know, small, tiny.

00:23:35.228 --> 00:23:40.684
<v Emily Blumenthal>Was it scary to be doing this with someone else?

00:23:40.684 --> 00:23:43.078
<v Emily Blumenthal>Because it's a lot of like.

00:23:43.078 --> 00:23:48.185
<v Emily Blumenthal>People don't seem to realize the complications, like I mean you, everybody.

00:23:48.185 --> 00:23:54.164
<v Emily Blumenthal>I feel like ignorant Lee goes in working with somebody, right, you need the support, you need the backup.

00:23:54.164 --> 00:23:57.746
<v Emily Blumenthal>You realize you can't be everything to everyone internally and externally.

00:23:57.746 --> 00:24:11.041
<v Emily Blumenthal>So you know, then you, you say, ok, I'm design, I'm fashion, I'm kind of sales, because I need to be in all these meetings, because I need to hear with the buyers, but I'm not the one handling the money, that's, I can't do that, right.

00:24:11.041 --> 00:24:18.362
<v Emily Blumenthal>But you know, then it's like then you kind of have a boss of their internally and like, was that tricky?

00:24:18.895 --> 00:24:20.542
<v Rafe Totengco>No, because I think we were both.

00:24:20.542 --> 00:24:32.785
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, I think we were very clear that it was my name and my company and I literally, you know, aside from working on the back end and supporting all of that stuff, like final decisions were really still mine.

00:24:32.785 --> 00:24:34.701
<v Rafe Totengco>It's not very clear from the start.

00:24:34.701 --> 00:24:44.654
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, he was really like an amazing support system, you know, because he kind of did all the back end that was like impossible for me to figure out, you know speaking to the left.

00:24:44.654 --> 00:24:47.023
<v Emily Blumenthal>Did you have anything in place If it didn't work out?

00:24:47.023 --> 00:24:47.266
<v Emily Blumenthal>Like?

00:24:47.266 --> 00:24:50.221
<v Emily Blumenthal>Did that ever cross your mind Like, oh damn, I hope we stick together.

00:24:50.595 --> 00:24:54.006
<v Rafe Totengco>At that time we did not, interestingly enough, but eventually we did.

00:24:54.006 --> 00:25:00.555
<v Rafe Totengco>We, you know, hired an accountant, had it, you know, had the company sort of like registered and all of that stuff.

00:25:00.555 --> 00:25:04.377
<v Rafe Totengco>And yeah, I have a sport in it that he never right, that, you know.

00:25:04.377 --> 00:25:05.782
<v Rafe Totengco>It never went south.

00:25:05.782 --> 00:25:10.184
<v Rafe Totengco>We were determined to, like you know, do something with this.

00:25:10.184 --> 00:25:12.863
<v Rafe Totengco>It was good, it was a good, it was a good partnership.

00:25:13.276 --> 00:25:14.682
<v Emily Blumenthal>Is he still your partner?

00:25:15.195 --> 00:25:16.842
<v Rafe Totengco>He has passed, unfortunately.

00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:19.583
<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh, I am so, so sorry.

00:25:20.275 --> 00:25:21.680
<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, unfortunately, but.

00:25:22.462 --> 00:25:23.839
<v Emily Blumenthal>Wow, I had no idea.

00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:25.317
<v Emily Blumenthal>I am so sorry.

00:25:25.897 --> 00:25:27.300
<v Rafe Totengco>It's all right, that's okay, yeah.

00:25:27.320 --> 00:25:28.742
<v Emily Blumenthal>The comma Right.

00:25:29.263 --> 00:25:29.825
<v Rafe Totengco>Life happens.

00:25:32.756 --> 00:25:33.680
<v Emily Blumenthal>Boy does it ever?

00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:40.596
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's like God, you think you're prepared for so much and then, like something, just sucker punches you yes.

00:25:40.775 --> 00:25:43.942
<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, yeah, yeah, and you know, let's not forget 08.

00:25:43.942 --> 00:25:49.705
<v Rafe Totengco>I think that was a rude awakening for a lot of brads.

00:25:49.986 --> 00:25:50.448
<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh, that.

00:25:50.468 --> 00:25:51.310
<v Rafe Totengco>Right, yeah, yeah.

00:25:52.795 --> 00:25:53.837
<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh, on market dropping.

00:25:53.837 --> 00:25:56.526
<v Emily Blumenthal>You mean people don't want to keep buying more and more and more.

00:25:56.526 --> 00:25:59.615
<v Emily Blumenthal>You mean you're going to cancel my order.

00:25:59.615 --> 00:26:01.843
<v Emily Blumenthal>Now what am I supposed to do with all my inventory?

00:26:01.843 --> 00:26:04.885
<v Emily Blumenthal>How many Trump shows can I do to sell the shit?

00:26:05.738 --> 00:26:13.061
<v Rafe Totengco>Plus, nobody wanted anything, right, nope, but like it was like like literally the floor dropped, the floor caved in.

00:26:13.478 --> 00:26:14.606
<v Emily Blumenthal>How did you handle that?

00:26:15.151 --> 00:26:15.575
<v Rafe Totengco>It was very hard.

00:26:15.575 --> 00:26:24.009
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, I thought it was like I went from like 15 people to three people in one afternoon.

00:26:24.009 --> 00:26:28.794
<v Rafe Totengco>It was hard wrenching, it was hard, so very, very.

00:26:29.958 --> 00:26:32.845
<v Emily Blumenthal>Was that his call saying like, look, we got to get rid of all these people.

00:26:32.845 --> 00:26:33.686
<v Emily Blumenthal>We can't afford them.

00:26:34.378 --> 00:26:35.894
<v Rafe Totengco>It was both our calls.

00:26:35.894 --> 00:26:37.815
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, it was like the writing was on the wall.

00:26:37.815 --> 00:26:40.815
<v Rafe Totengco>There was just like every store had canceled the orders.

00:26:40.815 --> 00:26:42.515
<v Rafe Totengco>It was like, how do we?

00:26:42.855 --> 00:26:44.162
<v Emily Blumenthal>What did you do with all the production?

00:26:44.576 --> 00:26:47.665
<v Rafe Totengco>Unfortunately, I had already prepaid for some of them.

00:26:47.665 --> 00:26:51.306
<v Rafe Totengco>We had to kind of go through them and then close them out.

00:26:51.306 --> 00:27:00.640
<v Rafe Totengco>We closed them out, which was also like the worst thing you imagine, like stuff coming in and they they don't even go to the stores, they go straight to like close out.

00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:02.846
<v Rafe Totengco>It was hard, that was really yeah.

00:27:03.175 --> 00:27:05.182
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, but that's life for business, right?

00:27:05.182 --> 00:27:12.663
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes, I mean, you want to at least just make back the money you paid for it, like, if anything, and then you're like I'll take whatever you can give me, just need something.

00:27:12.843 --> 00:27:14.547
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, no, I mean this is right before 08.

00:27:14.547 --> 00:27:16.401
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, we were like on a high.

00:27:16.401 --> 00:27:22.994
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, my God, we were producing women's shoes, we were doing men's bags, we were doing you know, jewelry even.

00:27:22.994 --> 00:27:26.240
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean we kind of did so much, we almost did too much.

00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:30.885
<v Rafe Totengco>And in the footwear, I mean it can't be produced in Spain.

00:27:30.885 --> 00:27:33.221
<v Rafe Totengco>We did produce out of Italy, produce out of China.

00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:34.084
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, yeah.

00:27:35.055 --> 00:27:37.763
<v Rafe Totengco>Before I knew it, I went from like one assistant to like four.

00:27:37.763 --> 00:27:40.015
<v Rafe Totengco>It was like I mean, it was amazing.

00:27:40.015 --> 00:27:45.015
<v Rafe Totengco>It was a really amazing trick when I'm still friends with some of my assistants at that time.

00:27:45.837 --> 00:27:50.015
<v Emily Blumenthal>Well I mean, look, you are a standup guy, you're a nice person.

00:27:50.015 --> 00:27:55.887
<v Emily Blumenthal>I think the people with whom you were working probably understood that it wasn't by choice.

00:27:55.887 --> 00:27:57.994
<v Emily Blumenthal>So it's not like you were being a dick about it.

00:27:57.994 --> 00:28:00.240
<v Emily Blumenthal>You were like I would keep you if I could, but I can't.

00:28:00.701 --> 00:28:04.069
<v Rafe Totengco>Right, so Guess what Like if you read the papers.

00:28:04.451 --> 00:28:05.292
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, yeah.

00:28:05.292 --> 00:28:10.721
<v Emily Blumenthal>All, we're all in it by the way, take it back on your way out, because I got some extras.

00:28:11.222 --> 00:28:12.005
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, no, it was.

00:28:12.005 --> 00:28:12.646
<v Rafe Totengco>It was bad.

00:28:12.646 --> 00:28:22.913
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, even when we did sample sales, it was like God, there was like a line of all around the block for people who were buying it, because the bags were like I mean, retail was like 450.

00:28:22.913 --> 00:28:26.763
<v Rafe Totengco>I was literally selling them for like less than $100.

00:28:26.763 --> 00:28:29.519
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, just, you know, get it out.

00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:31.467
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, cash, no, it was hard.

00:28:31.467 --> 00:28:33.974
<v Rafe Totengco>It was hard, especially because we weren't such a high.

00:28:33.974 --> 00:28:37.015
<v Rafe Totengco>We had a license agreement with a Japanese company.

00:28:37.015 --> 00:28:38.923
<v Rafe Totengco>They opened stores for us.

00:28:38.923 --> 00:28:49.223
<v Rafe Totengco>There was like all this stuff that was like amazing, amazing, amazing, selling international, you know, doing the shows in Milan from Ecom in Paris, and it was like it was.

00:28:49.684 --> 00:28:51.729
<v Rafe Totengco>And then poof, go, go, go, and then poof.

00:28:51.729 --> 00:28:53.010
<v Rafe Totengco>I was hard.

00:28:53.778 --> 00:28:56.994
<v Emily Blumenthal>How did you working for Nine West come to be?

00:28:56.994 --> 00:28:59.703
<v Emily Blumenthal>And then how did it come to pass?

00:29:00.777 --> 00:29:08.722
<v Rafe Totengco>You know that was interesting because I was that time I was working with a financial person who and it- was very timely for a designer.

00:29:08.722 --> 00:29:09.345
<v Rafe Totengco>It was very timely.

00:29:09.484 --> 00:29:16.788
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes, and you then, all of a sudden, guest design a mid tier brand per se and take over.

00:29:16.788 --> 00:29:20.163
<v Emily Blumenthal>And then, by the way, my brand's coming in-house for you to do it too, right.

00:29:21.296 --> 00:29:21.536
<v Rafe Totengco>No, it was.

00:29:21.536 --> 00:29:21.777
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah.

00:29:21.777 --> 00:29:30.125
<v Rafe Totengco>I was introduced to Richard Dixon, who at that time was a new CEO, and I remember you know we met for coffee and he's like he goes, what do you want to do?

00:29:30.125 --> 00:29:32.721
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like what do you want me to do?

00:29:32.721 --> 00:29:34.316
<v Rafe Totengco>He goes.

00:29:34.316 --> 00:29:35.077
<v Rafe Totengco>Well, he goes.

00:29:35.077 --> 00:29:37.444
<v Rafe Totengco>Our business is broken, it needs fixing.

00:29:37.444 --> 00:29:40.102
<v Rafe Totengco>It's not just one business, it's several businesses.

00:29:40.102 --> 00:29:42.299
<v Rafe Totengco>So I was like, oh, I said I can do that, which.

00:29:42.299 --> 00:29:43.826
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, can I do that?

00:29:43.826 --> 00:29:46.015
<v Rafe Totengco>I don't remember me, but I think I can do that.

00:29:46.015 --> 00:29:56.980
<v Rafe Totengco>And I already had an offer at a table for another company at that time that was so much more easier and smaller and I was like I can't tell you, but anyway, it's been so long.

00:29:57.160 --> 00:30:00.395
<v Rafe Totengco>Oh, it's okay, it's okay, rather not, but anyway.

00:30:00.395 --> 00:30:02.723
<v Rafe Totengco>So I was like this under the rug, look at you.

00:30:02.723 --> 00:30:03.045
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah.

00:30:03.045 --> 00:30:06.904
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, yeah, this I can do so much easier.

00:30:06.904 --> 00:30:08.157
<v Rafe Totengco>But then nine West.

00:30:08.157 --> 00:30:10.705
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like that could be fun, that could be a challenge.

00:30:10.705 --> 00:30:14.480
<v Rafe Totengco>If I fail, I'll fail miserably, you know, I'll go down in flames.

00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:15.784
<v Rafe Totengco>At least let's do this.

00:30:16.576 --> 00:30:17.881
<v Emily Blumenthal>At least you'll look good going down.

00:30:18.082 --> 00:30:18.763
<v Rafe Totengco>That's exactly.

00:30:18.763 --> 00:30:25.923
<v Rafe Totengco>And then I met the brand president, who I knew, for you know she was working in Bendles and we had lunch as well.

00:30:25.923 --> 00:30:29.022
<v Rafe Totengco>And after lunch we were like laughing and it was just like I said.

00:30:29.022 --> 00:30:30.486
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, can we do this together?

00:30:30.486 --> 00:30:32.500
<v Rafe Totengco>She's like, yes, we can do this together.

00:30:32.500 --> 00:30:33.061
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like okay.

00:30:33.061 --> 00:30:36.537
<v Rafe Totengco>And then I was, you know, as soon as I arrived my first day.

00:30:36.537 --> 00:30:44.271
<v Rafe Totengco>I remember my first day with, like the design team Okay, I'm really sorry, but we're canceling everything.

00:30:44.271 --> 00:30:51.171
<v Rafe Totengco>And imagine, we're flying to China in three days to fix everything.

00:30:51.813 --> 00:30:52.012
<v Emily Blumenthal>Wow.

00:30:52.401 --> 00:30:52.903
<v Rafe Totengco>In China.

00:30:54.262 --> 00:30:56.589
<v Emily Blumenthal>How do we influence people really fast?

00:30:57.020 --> 00:31:00.931
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean because the call was like you do what you want to do, what you do what you think is right.

00:31:00.931 --> 00:31:04.759
<v Rafe Totengco>So I walked in and I was like this, all of it's like not appropriate.

00:31:04.759 --> 00:31:08.746
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, oh my god, like I don't have the answer, we have to do it all together.

00:31:08.746 --> 00:31:13.105
<v Rafe Totengco>But I just know in my gut that this is wrong, like we have to fix this.

00:31:13.105 --> 00:31:27.950
<v Rafe Totengco>So we all flew to China Like eight of us worked until like midnight for like a week until everything was sampled correctly, but then we came back to market and, fortunately, the response was amazing, like literally like.

00:31:28.570 --> 00:31:29.973
<v Emily Blumenthal>Night day, yes.

00:31:30.421 --> 00:31:36.549
<v Rafe Totengco>Like well, one of their biggest accounts was Macy's and they actually said finally something we can buy.

00:31:37.786 --> 00:31:40.058
<v Emily Blumenthal>They brought your brand in house too, eventually.

00:31:40.078 --> 00:31:50.119
<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, the agreement was they were going to license it and if I was just kind of like, stay quiet for a year while I fix the business, because I was also overseeing Rachel Roy and Klein.

00:31:50.119 --> 00:32:00.737
<v Rafe Totengco>And then within West there was wholesale international off price, so there were essentially three divisions right Within one brand and Klein was the same.

00:32:00.737 --> 00:32:03.123
<v Rafe Totengco>There was off price, there was full price, full price.

00:32:03.123 --> 00:32:07.039
<v Rafe Totengco>Rachel Roy was exclusive to Macy's, so there was a lot of development.

00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:11.070
<v Rafe Totengco>And then there was also conversations about bringing in Brian Atwood.

00:32:11.441 --> 00:32:12.083
<v Emily Blumenthal>I remember that.

00:32:12.444 --> 00:32:17.195
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, so yeah, all of a sudden I went from like meeting to meeting to meeting.

00:32:17.195 --> 00:32:20.289
<v Rafe Totengco>It was like I was in design meetings in Fnitom.

00:32:22.082 --> 00:32:25.318
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, I'm sure that was exciting at the beginning, but what brought that to an end?

00:32:25.318 --> 00:32:25.923
<v Emily Blumenthal>Were you like?

00:32:25.923 --> 00:32:27.880
<v Emily Blumenthal>This is like the passion's gone.

00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:30.747
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm just pumping out, no it was private equity.

00:32:30.921 --> 00:32:39.632
<v Rafe Totengco>Private equity came and bought Nine West and started subdividing everything and eventually, kind of putting a lot of debt into it and sold it off.

00:32:40.922 --> 00:32:43.596
<v Emily Blumenthal>Were you able to get your brand back without any issue?

00:32:43.615 --> 00:32:47.405
<v Rafe Totengco>No, yeah, I mean because it was a license agreement, so they never owned it.

00:32:47.405 --> 00:32:53.987
<v Rafe Totengco>They owned the rights to produce it, but since they weren't producing it anymore, so it was like it was time to give it back to me.

00:32:53.987 --> 00:33:01.506
<v Rafe Totengco>So it was kind of amazing actually, because I think at the time when they were going through line item per line item, they were like, oh, we don't own you, that's right.

00:33:01.506 --> 00:33:02.951
<v Rafe Totengco>No, you don't.

00:33:02.951 --> 00:33:07.480
<v Rafe Totengco>They were like, oh, we have to pay you off.

00:33:07.740 --> 00:33:15.057
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm like kind of yes so Because they were going back on the contract you had with them.

00:33:15.378 --> 00:33:19.900
<v Rafe Totengco>Right and they had to kind of like again because they were selling off the different brands.

00:33:19.900 --> 00:33:21.980
<v Rafe Totengco>It was kind of like the writing was on the wall.

00:33:21.980 --> 00:33:26.559
<v Rafe Totengco>It was like the end of an era, essentially, and I had a great run, had a great run, had a great time.

00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:27.584
<v Emily Blumenthal>How many years were you there?

00:33:27.986 --> 00:33:29.869
<v Rafe Totengco>Five years, that's a long time.

00:33:29.869 --> 00:33:39.759
<v Rafe Totengco>That's a long time, yeah but it was it went so quickly because we were oh god, we were like we're in China four times a year, we're in Europe like four times a year.

00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:41.547
<v Rafe Totengco>We were like nonstop.

00:33:41.547 --> 00:33:43.647
<v Rafe Totengco>It was like literally like I was a.

00:33:43.779 --> 00:33:46.608
<v Emily Blumenthal>That was faster than you would ever dealt, Like you know.

00:33:46.608 --> 00:33:46.789
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes.

00:33:46.789 --> 00:33:52.705
<v Emily Blumenthal>And all of a sudden you're like I need to like up my game because I'm now doing what I'm doing on crack.

00:33:53.107 --> 00:33:54.250
<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, yeah, it was crazy.

00:33:54.250 --> 00:33:57.209
<v Rafe Totengco>It was a crazy time, but it was great.

00:33:57.209 --> 00:33:58.826
<v Rafe Totengco>I have to say I have no regrets.

00:33:58.826 --> 00:34:06.909
<v Rafe Totengco>I made a lot of really good friends and connections, people who I'm still in touch with to this day, and even you know the factories I work with in China.

00:34:06.909 --> 00:34:17.452
<v Rafe Totengco>A lot of those people, of course, seized to work for Nine West and they started working for other companies, but I remember the last time I was in China, which was like 2017 or 18.

00:34:18.221 --> 00:34:18.903
<v Emily Blumenthal>Pre-pandemic.

00:34:19.324 --> 00:34:19.967
<v Rafe Totengco>Pre-pandemic.

00:34:19.967 --> 00:34:23.809
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, oh, I mean, don't want people like you know you can.

00:34:23.809 --> 00:34:30.072
<v Rafe Totengco>We all have dinner and, like, everyone from the old office showed up and we had a great time and we're like Big dinner.

00:34:30.072 --> 00:34:36.786
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, it was a big dinner and we're all laughing and reminiscing and it was really nice and to me it was like, okay, so you know what?

00:34:36.786 --> 00:34:41.909
<v Rafe Totengco>Not for anything else, but the fact that they're all here tonight means so much.

00:34:43.041 --> 00:34:53.422
<v Emily Blumenthal>Well, you're also once again a nice guy, so it's not like, yeah, I mean, people remember working with people who are not pleasant and you're a pleasant guy, so I'm sure.

00:34:54.762 --> 00:34:55.766
<v Rafe Totengco>We would laugh about that.

00:34:55.766 --> 00:35:14.268
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, like God, they would teach me like little words and little phrases and a Mandarin, and they said, even if we worked until like midnight sometimes and you know they would have to, like you know, go home at like one in the morning, somehow, they were like not upset with it, they weren't annoyed with me, like they knew that it had to be done.

00:35:14.268 --> 00:35:25.490
<v Rafe Totengco>So we would kind of laugh about that stuff because it's like and also I was, you know, the first to tell them like I'm really sorry if you have to go home, go home Right, but I'm going to stay because we need to get this done Right.

00:35:25.490 --> 00:35:26.719
<v Rafe Totengco>Like no, we'll stay with you.

00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:28.467
<v Rafe Totengco>I'm like, oh, I feel bad.

00:35:28.728 --> 00:35:29.030
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah.

00:35:29.202 --> 00:35:30.599
<v Rafe Totengco>You know, I'm going back to a hotel.

00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:34.418
<v Rafe Totengco>They're going to like travel for like an hour to go Hour yeah.

00:35:34.418 --> 00:35:35.715
<v Rafe Totengco>They're like no, no, no, it's okay.

00:35:35.715 --> 00:35:38.606
<v Rafe Totengco>It's okay, when you leave, we'll catch up on our sleep, shhh.

00:35:38.626 --> 00:35:39.369
<v Emily Blumenthal>You know what I mean.

00:35:39.369 --> 00:35:41.784
<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh my God, we're not coming back.

00:35:41.923 --> 00:35:42.505
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, how.

00:35:43.539 --> 00:35:53.434
<v Emily Blumenthal>Because, after all that happened and then the pandemic hit, how has that led you back to still pursuing your brand and doing it at a different pace?

00:35:53.434 --> 00:35:56.181
<v Emily Blumenthal>Because you know the market has changed.

00:35:56.181 --> 00:36:01.492
<v Emily Blumenthal>Social media has changed brands, with fans having to share your story.

00:36:01.492 --> 00:36:05.106
<v Emily Blumenthal>You know like, you still know your customer.

00:36:05.106 --> 00:36:07.300
<v Emily Blumenthal>You still know who she is Like.

00:36:07.300 --> 00:36:07.902
<v Emily Blumenthal>Are you?

00:36:07.902 --> 00:36:09.228
<v Emily Blumenthal>Has she evolved?

00:36:09.228 --> 00:36:10.786
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, obviously she's older.

00:36:10.786 --> 00:36:15.130
<v Emily Blumenthal>What are you doing to capture new people and keep these people coming back?

00:36:15.681 --> 00:36:15.903
<v Rafe Totengco>You know.

00:36:15.903 --> 00:36:30.278
<v Rafe Totengco>So it's interesting because, like recently, this company called Front Row Fashion Week had reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to do a show in LA, and in my initial reaction I was like, oh my God, I can't, like I've got no energy, it's exhausted.

00:36:30.278 --> 00:36:34.798
<v Rafe Totengco>And then at some point I was like you know what, why not?

00:36:34.798 --> 00:36:35.079
<v Rafe Totengco>Why not?

00:36:35.079 --> 00:36:39.679
<v Rafe Totengco>Because I the idea of a bag show was just like, oh my God, it's going to be so boring.

00:36:39.679 --> 00:36:42.018
<v Rafe Totengco>Who wants to see tiny bags that are on way?

00:36:42.018 --> 00:36:43.360
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, I thought you know what?

00:36:44.387 --> 00:36:45.231
<v Rafe Totengco>Why don't I like?

00:36:45.231 --> 00:36:46.480
<v Rafe Totengco>Well, also, they gave me an offer I couldn't refuse.

00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:51.552
<v Rafe Totengco>They literally were like we'll pay for everything, Give them some money, Just show up with their bags.

00:36:51.552 --> 00:36:53.710
<v Rafe Totengco>I was like, oh, Okay, Okay, I can do that.

00:36:53.710 --> 00:36:57.315
<v Rafe Totengco>I, yeah, I, I could, yes, I could do that.

00:36:57.315 --> 00:37:07.519
<v Rafe Totengco>So I did it and you know, I decided to do like a three minute, like presentation, essentially of like dance sets instead of models voguing with bags.

00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:13.349
<v Rafe Totengco>Actually, I have to say, like not for anything else, but I was just like, oh my God, this was so much fun.

00:37:13.349 --> 00:37:15.679
<v Rafe Totengco>Everybody had a great time.

00:37:15.679 --> 00:37:18.492
<v Rafe Totengco>Even the audience was kind of like.

00:37:18.492 --> 00:37:20.400
<v Rafe Totengco>They were like, oh my God, like what's happening now?

00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:28.139
<v Rafe Totengco>That's so cool, Like club music and these girls were coming up with the bags and I had hand dancing and all of them had bags.

00:37:28.139 --> 00:37:31.487
<v Rafe Totengco>I was just like make sure, whatever you do, there was no choreography.

00:37:31.487 --> 00:37:33.231
<v Rafe Totengco>I said feel the music.

00:37:33.231 --> 00:37:36.416
<v Rafe Totengco>Whatever you do, don't make people forget that it's about the bag.

00:37:36.498 --> 00:37:36.797
<v Emily Blumenthal>Bag.

00:37:36.797 --> 00:37:37.639
<v Emily Blumenthal>That's great, well done.

00:37:38.081 --> 00:37:41.840
<v Rafe Totengco>And it was, and it was a way for me to also like meet new customers, and yeah.

00:37:41.840 --> 00:37:50.000
<v Rafe Totengco>So I, you know it's interesting because I think again, because I think that's a great thing because of the bags are sort of ageless, I'm capturing a whole new audience.

00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:58.840
<v Rafe Totengco>I'm actually, funnily enough, I'm capturing my friend's daughter's generation, like their next generation, of like oh my God, this is so cool.

00:37:58.840 --> 00:38:03.630
<v Rafe Totengco>Or like, oh my God, we like we wanted mom's clutch, so now we want to have our own clutch, and yeah.

00:38:03.630 --> 00:38:05.599
<v Rafe Totengco>So it's just one of those things.

00:38:05.599 --> 00:38:07.407
<v Rafe Totengco>I just have to keep at it, right.

00:38:08.061 --> 00:38:09.864
<v Emily Blumenthal>One more question Now.

00:38:09.864 --> 00:38:11.179
<v Emily Blumenthal>I know you.

00:38:12.003 --> 00:38:13.186
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean I probably have to do a question.

00:38:14.228 --> 00:38:15.179
<v Emily Blumenthal>No, you totally did.

00:38:15.179 --> 00:38:23.688
<v Emily Blumenthal>But in recognizing your roots from the Philippines I know you have a clutch that's made from a shell from- the Philippines.

00:38:23.708 --> 00:38:24.791
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, a little shell yeah.

00:38:24.831 --> 00:38:25.472
<v Emily Blumenthal>Right, that's it.

00:38:25.472 --> 00:38:26.903
<v Emily Blumenthal>I didn't want to say the wrong shell.

00:38:26.923 --> 00:38:27.827
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, yeah, yeah, I couldn't remember.

00:38:28.739 --> 00:38:35.690
<v Emily Blumenthal>Are you actively making sure that your heritage and culture is still always an integral part of the brand?

00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:39.246
<v Rafe Totengco>You know, it's interesting because it's not something that I consciously do.

00:38:39.246 --> 00:38:42.088
<v Rafe Totengco>I think it's inevitable for what I do.

00:38:42.088 --> 00:38:43.887
<v Rafe Totengco>You know, it's like people always ask me.

00:38:43.887 --> 00:38:46.286
<v Rafe Totengco>It's like how do you make sure that there's a Filipino touch?

00:38:46.286 --> 00:38:49.628
<v Rafe Totengco>I'm like I actually don't think of it that way.

00:38:49.719 --> 00:38:49.840
<v Emily Blumenthal>Like.

00:38:49.840 --> 00:38:50.302
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's not like.

00:38:50.302 --> 00:38:53.409
<v Emily Blumenthal>Your silhouettes are Tagalog named, Didn't you say right?

00:38:54.101 --> 00:38:56.181
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, tagalog, yeah, yeah, yeah, Tagalog, yeah.

00:38:56.181 --> 00:39:04.829
<v Rafe Totengco>No, it's like, yeah, I mean, I guess, because I am who I am, it'll come through, no matter what right, and I'm happy about that because it's authentic to who I am.

00:39:04.829 --> 00:39:08.563
<v Rafe Totengco>And when people see it, they realize where I am from and from the islands.

00:39:08.563 --> 00:39:09.626
<v Rafe Totengco>They're like, oh, we get it.

00:39:09.626 --> 00:39:10.750
<v Rafe Totengco>We get it, it comes through.

00:39:10.750 --> 00:39:12.184
<v Rafe Totengco>I'm like I should hope so.

00:39:12.184 --> 00:39:15.224
<v Rafe Totengco>It is my DNA.

00:39:15.224 --> 00:39:24.128
<v Rafe Totengco>So, yes, yes, but I also love the fact that I'm also working not just with the Philippines, but I'm working still with my Chinese factories, india as well.

00:39:24.128 --> 00:39:37.824
<v Rafe Totengco>I mean, for me, I think it's really my interest and love of craft and I think it's handmade and I think that you can see that is, you can see, like someone working at it, versus something that's a little bit more like manufactured.

00:39:37.824 --> 00:39:47.414
<v Rafe Totengco>So yeah, and I don't produce a lot of quantity, I produce just enough, so there's not too much overstock to get rid of, which is really, I mean for me, at least that's my.

00:39:47.414 --> 00:39:51.409
<v Rafe Totengco>You know I don't produce thousands, as I used to, but I'm OK with that.

00:39:51.409 --> 00:39:56.626
<v Rafe Totengco>And I think people like the fact that they don't see the samples themselves coming and going.

00:39:56.626 --> 00:40:00.565
<v Rafe Totengco>They like the fact that when they go to a party, they're like where'd you get that?

00:40:00.565 --> 00:40:03.324
<v Rafe Totengco>I had one, really like.

00:40:03.364 --> 00:40:19.143
<v Rafe Totengco>One of my favorite stories was like this woman who said to me she goes, you know, I love wearing your clutches because you know, let's face it, when you go to a party black tie dinner, a fancy party the women, we, she said, we women don't dress for men, we dress for each other.

00:40:19.143 --> 00:40:25.764
<v Rafe Totengco>Bingo, she said so when you put your clutch down at a table and everybody's got their clutch at a table, just like game over.

00:40:25.764 --> 00:40:29.786
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, bax, it puts that like shell clutch.

00:40:29.786 --> 00:40:37.286
<v Rafe Totengco>It's like she goes, you could have as many rhinestones on that bag, but this clutch, let me tell you, you won't see it anywhere else.

00:40:38.121 --> 00:40:39.967
<v Emily Blumenthal>And I know your DNA with the PhD.

00:40:40.409 --> 00:40:41.130
<v Rafe Totengco>Yeah, right.

00:40:41.130 --> 00:40:47.369
<v Rafe Totengco>So I was like OK, I'm doing something right, I'm connecting with her and you know to this day that clutch is sold out.

00:40:47.369 --> 00:40:50.103
<v Rafe Totengco>I have to remake it and I'm happy about that.

00:40:50.103 --> 00:40:51.789
<v Rafe Totengco>That people still covet it.

00:40:52.619 --> 00:40:54.326
<v Emily Blumenthal>Well, it is covetable that people do.

00:40:54.326 --> 00:40:57.867
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thank you, you were right, Raffi, it has been an absolute joy.

00:40:57.867 --> 00:41:00.396
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thank you so much for having me.

00:41:00.396 --> 00:41:01.800
<v Emily Blumenthal>Well, I'll always have you.

00:41:01.800 --> 00:41:02.382
<v Emily Blumenthal>You know that.

00:41:02.382 --> 00:41:05.106
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean we honored you at the Handbag Awards.

00:41:05.106 --> 00:41:06.867
<v Emily Blumenthal>Your video was so emotional.

00:41:06.867 --> 00:41:13.550
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean I could have, like I said, hosted this without you and told your story back to you, but it's better with you telling it.

00:41:13.550 --> 00:41:16.027
<v Emily Blumenthal>I agree, how can people find you, follow?

00:41:16.027 --> 00:41:17.485
<v Emily Blumenthal>You buy your beautiful bags.

00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:32.128
<v Rafe Totengco>So social media at Rafi New York, r-a-f-e New York, spelled out wwwrafficom Easy 3Ws 3Ws exactly, and neimanmarcuscom probably has the most of my things as well.

00:41:32.128 --> 00:41:33.431
<v Rafe Totengco>Yes, Still.

00:41:33.431 --> 00:41:35.565
<v Rafe Totengco>Still Still.

00:41:35.820 --> 00:41:37.045
<v Emily Blumenthal>Amazing Thanks.

00:41:37.045 --> 00:41:40.163
<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh yes, still Absolutely as it hey.

00:41:40.641 --> 00:41:42.199
<v Rafe Totengco>Every season you're like oh my god.

00:41:42.239 --> 00:41:43.503
<v Emily Blumenthal>Can't wait, man, keep it going.

00:41:43.503 --> 00:41:46.226
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yes, it has been an absolute joy.

00:41:46.226 --> 00:41:48.527
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thank you so much for being part of the podcast.

00:41:48.820 --> 00:41:49.804
<v Rafe Totengco>Thank you so much, Emily.

00:41:49.804 --> 00:41:50.547
<v Rafe Totengco>Have a great week.

00:41:51.909 --> 00:41:53.260
<v Emily Blumenthal>Have a good one.

00:41:53.260 --> 00:41:54.003
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thanks for listening.

00:41:54.003 --> 00:41:59.387
<v Emily Blumenthal>Don't forget to rate and review, and follow us on every single platform at Handbag Designer.

00:41:59.387 --> 00:42:00.250
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thanks so much.

00:42:00.250 --> 00:42:01.280
<v Emily Blumenthal>See you next time.