Philippine-made bags priced up to a million pesos arrive at Rustan’s Makati

Luxury handbags priced at up to a million pesos are often associated with heritage European fashion houses. At Rustan’s Makati on July 23, however, one such bag came from Mele + Marie, a brand that makes its pieces in Cebu, Philippines.

The centerpiece was the Aurora Bella minaudière, a small, hard clutch made from onyx-colored shell and set with real stones by Hans Brumann. It is priced at P1.2 million. Another shell bag, from the Hannah line, is priced at up to P500,000. The brand also offers comparatively more modest bags at about $1,000, or roughly between P50,000 and P70,000.

Among the pieces shown were bags in that price range made from nacreous, iridescent shell set inside golden baskets, with bending rice stalks — including gold-dipped rice grains — forming the handle. The materials and construction place the pieces in a category where craftsmanship, rarity of finish, and handwork are part of the product’s value, not merely embellishment.

Mele + Marie was founded in 2012 by Melecio and Marie Oamil. Their daughter, Rome Oamil, now serves as creative director. Before establishing the brand, the couple had already been making and designing pieces for some of the world’s leading brands.

“We’ve made a lot of friends in the fashion network around the globe,” Marie Oamil told BusinessWorld during the brand’s launch at Rustan’s Makati. Those contacts encouraged the couple to create their own label. The bags later reached stores overseas, were carried by celebrities, and appeared on the arms of wives of fashion executives.

The brand has also received several awards, including a Design Excellence Award in New York for the Joana Bag and the 2023 Katha Award for Best Product Design (Fashion) for the Emman Clutch.

Rustan’s now houses Mele + Marie’s first boutique in the Philippines, giving the label a permanent local retail presence after building much of its reputation abroad. Even before the local boutique, the brand’s bags had already been used by Filipino celebrities through stylists. Kris Aquino carried one of the brand’s bags at the premiere of Crazy Rich Asians, in which she had a cameo role.

Asked what it felt like for the brand to gain recognition abroad before receiving similar validation at home, the senior Ms. Oamil said, “Sometimes, it’s sad, but it’s also okay. It made us challenge ourselves.”

Selling first in overseas markets meant the brand had to meet higher expectations for the European market, she said, and ensure that its bags surpassed manufacturing standards when they were later brought back to the Philippines. “Abroad, when you’re good, you get to be recognized. There is no question about anything. You’re excellent, period.”

Still, she said, “I want to fortify our brand to be a Filipino brand.”

The younger Ms. Oamil said local shoppers are often surprised during shows when they learn that the bags are made in the Philippines. That reaction is part of the brand’s broader challenge: presenting Philippine-made work not as a lower-cost alternative, but as a luxury product able to stand beside established international names.

On the question of prices that compete with more established brands abroad, the senior Ms. Oamil said the pricing reflects what Filipinos can do and, more importantly, what Filipino work is worth. “It’s all about knowing who you are,” she said. “Filipinos are sometimes undervalued. But we’re very good in what we do.”

Referring to heritage European brands, she added, “I am very secure in myself… it’s about putting value in yourself.”

“People accept and embrace that abroad. I can easily sell (something) at $3,000, $4,000,” she said. “We’ve worked hard. This does not happen… overnight. This is the story of our lives.”

“We have such high regard for our artisans. It’s not easy,” her daughter said, addressing the question of pricing their pieces on par with heritage brands.

Discussing some designer brands from Europe, the younger Ms. Oamil said that while they are excellent and deserve their status, “Their products can be replicated, almost to the T. Ours cannot be. Nothing is ever the same. Shell is not a fabric that you can keep printing. These are from an artisan’s hands.”

Each bag can take up to a month to complete, with three people assigned to a single piece.

“I feel that we deserve it, and more, as Filipinos. In time, I hope to inspire people to think that way too: to not lower their standards for themselves.” — Joseph L. Garcia