Many exciting things have been happening in Rafe’s world this spring/summer. To catch you all up here are some highlights:
Rafe is now on Facebook!
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- Weekly press updates
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- and much more!
As a fan, you can also upload pictures of you with your favorite Rafe handbag or pair of shoes!
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RAFE celebrated the official launch of its first Manila boutique at the Greenbelt 5 Ayala Mall on Thursday, March 27, 2008. The grand opening included a ribbon cutting ceremony and cocktail party hosted by designer Rafe Totengco and store owners Ricco and Tina Ocampo.
“It was a mob scene!” exclaimed Totengco, who signed linings and soles nonstop throughout the event. “Everybody came out to support and buy Rafe.” Over the course of the evening, guests such as Ting Ting Cojuangco, Audrey Puckett Chiu, Mons Romulo Tantoco, Sophia Elizalde, Lizzie Zobel, Mia Borromeo, Tina Ocampo and Luli Arroyo shopped the edited collection of handbags, shoes and accessories. By the end of the event, the boutique had sold out of several styles including the “Laos Martina” laser cut wood frame clutch, the “Lotus Elisha” patent leather platform sandals and the “Koh Samui Sasha” snakeskin minaudieres. “It was an absolutely unforgettable homecoming,” says Totengco.
The Ayala Mall store is the brand’s first in the Philippines, which is also designer Rafe Totengco’s home country. “It’s a dream come true for me,” says Totengco. “I’m so proud to be opening a store here. My life has really come full circle.”
The Manila boutique, designed to mimic the brand’s New York City showroom, boasts baby blue damask patterned walls, rich chocolate brown floors and an eclectic mix of Asian antiques and vintage furniture. The free-standing store carries an edited collection of Rafe handbags, shoes and leather goods which are merchandised to epitomize the brand’s fun, chic aesthetic. In addition, Rafe will produce a collection of limited edition accessories especially for the boutique.
Owned by Ricco and Tina Ocampo, the husband and wife team behind multi-brand fashion boutique Mix, the store is a franchise that grew organically from the pair’s long-standing relationship with Totengco.
“Ricco and Tina have supported me from the very beginning” says Totengco. “From my early years in the Philippines to now, with the store. I couldn’t have imagined two better partners to work with on this endeavor.”
The Rafe boutique is located in the Greenbelt 5 Ayayla Mall alongside other established fashion brands such as Balenciaga, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith, Banana Republic and Celestina.
