Rocio Olbes: Bag Lady
MANILA, Philippines - If we go by years as a basis of sizing up Rocio Olbes, the stats would be these: Rocio is 23, looks 16 and emotionally has just turned 45 (then again when she falls in love, we go back to age 16... but that is another story. For now, we stick to 45!). The creative director of the eponymous Rocio Ltd., this bag designer has found her creations gracing the fashion pages of Vogue UK, Elle and In Style magazines (Rocio’s bags will be gracing the pages of Vogue UK once again this year).
At this moment, Rocio is in Europe where she is attending fashion fairs in Paris, Madrid and Rome. Her bags are unconventional, an eclectic mix of sustainable acacia wood and shells that are a favorite in Europe.
Along with her partners Hamish Menzies and Tessa Nepomuceno, Rocio will be (despite the global recession) expanding her retail empire. Already the partners have successfully sold their chic collection of wooden bags to stores such as Liberty (in London), Fortnum and Masons, Isetan in Japan, Penelope in Milan, Charles Jourdan in Amsterdam, Etoile in Dubai, KixBox in Moscow, Atmosphere in Monte Carlo, La Basilica in Barcelona, Flair in Berlin, Fabienna Felvigne in Belgium, Pam Jenkins in Edinburgh, Carouzos in Greece and L’eclaireur in Paris.
“I just finished a prêt-a-porter show in Paris. I debuted my new collection and am now in over 30 countries with new clients in Kuwait, Rome, Shanghai, Beiruit, St. Petersberg, as well as new exclusive distributors in Benelux. A lot of new pieces will again be featured in British Vogue next month and also other glossies like Harpers and Elle. Our newest personal client is Dorris Mussiefeit, who is the First Lady of Iceland and was voted as one of the best dressed ladies in all of Europe.”
“I am proud to proclaim that our bags are made in the Philippines,” Rocio declares. “Thanks to designers like Natori, Celestina and Rafe Totengco, the Philippines is now a player in the global fashion world. I hope to do my share to reinforce this belief.”
When Rocio is not designing and traveling, she is usually found in her unpretentiously chic getup that only she could pull off. The “Rocio Look” comprises of an oversized shirt that doubles as a short dress over biker shorts, simple flat sandals and a soft bag (a bazaar find!). To finish off the look, Rocio would sport her heavily tinted shades and casually place her hair in a high, loose bun on the highest point of her head. The look is unpretentious, comfortable and yet damn sexy.
Lately, coming home has been ever pressing in Rocio’s mind. She is incredibly close to her older brother Raul (“We goof off together! When we are bored, we pretend to be a couple and spend the day house-hunting!”) and her mother Tina (“She is my greatest role model. I have not met a stronger, more resilient woman. I am just so lucky to have her as a mom! She means the world to me!”).
Rocio will soon be showcasing her bags for the local market in Rockwell. “If I can show my products in various parts of the world, why can’t I do it in my own homeland?” Rocio says. Spoken like a truly nationalistic 45-year-old!
