Can I Tell You…about Aya Abesamis. We started following each other on Instagram last year but we recently finally met in person. I knew of Aya because her parents were fashion models and contemporaries of my sisters back in the Philippines in the 1980s.

In setting out to design any collection, Rafe Totengco prefers to work off a feeling.

With his brand Rafé New York, the designer has carved out a niche in the clutches and evening bags sect of fashion. He attributes its global acclaim to one sentiment: anyone can carry a Rafé bag. Over an illustrious two-decade-long career, he notes a sizeable shift in the landscape that mirrors this attitude, with trends that transcend any one type of person—so long as it fits their tastes.