New York based Filipino designer Rafe Totengco was recently named the new creative director of Nine West’s handbag division.
His name should be familiar to BagBunch readers, as he’s the brains behind the Rafe accessories line, a collection which is sold in more than 60 stores worldwide, and a favorite of celebs like Cameron Diaz, Lindsay Lohan, and Fergie.
Totengco also has a string of honors under his belt, including most recently the 2010 Filipino Presidential Award.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rafe to the Jones family of talent,” said Richard Dickson, president and chief executive officer of Branded Businesses at Nine West’s parent company, Jones Apparel Group. “An important element of our mission is to nurture and attract design and merchant talent to help drive our multi-category multi-branded business. Rafe’s gift for world class design, combined with Jones’ resources and brands will take our handbag business to new heights.“
Totengco’s new role as creative director for handbags will see him working with others at Nine West to create an exciting new vision for the brand. I’m not sure what all this means for the Rafe label, but I guess we’ll find out soon enough. Do you think Totengco is the right fit for Nine West?
