After a brief hiatus Rafe, designer Rafe Totengco’s signature line, is back and under new management. The fashion house is now part of the Jones Group, the company who also oversees Totengco’s other creative interest, Nine West. Totengco will have his work cut out for him, serving as the creative director of both labels for the foreseeable future.
Totengco admitted that he will have “a very busy time,” before conceding that he’s thrilled to have the Rafe line back in business. It seems things will be business as usual despite the changing of the guard, with Rafe staying committed to its design aesthetic, affordable price points, and original retailers.
Rafe will relaunch in spring 2012 with a collection which took Totengco back to his Philippines home. It sounds like a meeting of heritage and modern influences, with leather and canvas bags embellished with woven and ikat prints. Totengco predicts ethnic and tribal themes will be big in fashion next spring, so it seemed like the perfect time to return to his own roots.
With the handbag line moving forward once again I’m sure many fashion fans will be wondering about the fate of Rafe’s footwear collections. Hopefully this too will return in good time!
[Image Source: Rafe Facebook page]
