Rafe Totengco
is an award-winning, Filipino born (Ilo-Ilo), NYC-based handbag, shoes, and leather goods designer who was the first to sign-up for the current economy-apropos “designer-for-Target” fad [designs and sales of which I am a rabid fan…and by rabid I do mean foaming-at-the-mouth. Rodarte and Anna Sui are in the pipeline (salivating as I write), McQueen, Botkier, Hindmarch, and Siegerson Morrison are among the many who have lent their designs.]
Rafe (pronounced rah-fay signified by a horizontal line above the “e” which you can’t see now because my keyboard isn’t set up for that kind of fanciness) launched his handbag collection in 1995 and has since expanded to shoes and leather goods to enhance his world-wide store and upscale boutique stock.
“Rafe blends uptown sophistication with downtown edge while remaining classic enough to be worn for many seasons to come…” [CFDA]

[other sources: asian journal profile, Philippine Inquirer profile, Rafe’s blog and Twitter]