TRü obsession

The world of fashion is bag crazy. What used to be a labour of functionality is now an iconic fashion staple. In recent years, the bag (once known as a guilty feminine pleasure) has gone mainstream and has taken the next step in defining a woman’s personal style. This sudden twist of fate in the pursuit of the perfect bag is unforgivingly maddening. While the global fashion arena celebrates in whimsical fascination, both old traditional leather goods (e.g. Vuitton, Veneta, Hermes, Gucci and Fendi) and fashion houses (e.g. Dior, Chloe and Balenciaga) are "bagging" over the evolution of the handbag, elevating it to more than just a status symbol. Season after season, industry insiders, magazine editors and style gurus hail a new "IT" bag as a statement of obsession while the rest of its followers line up in the waitlist. The Hermes’ Birkins and Kellys, Louis Vuitton’s Murakami, Fendi’s "Spy", Dior’s "Detective", Balenciaga’s "classic", McQueen’s "Novak", Chanel’s classic quilt and Valextras have been "bags of the moment" and have gone classic while Chloe’s "Paddington" is the latest ultimate fab must-have.

In the local scene, Filipinos are as wild about bags. To date, there are countless labels that range from practical retail to one-of-a kind designer finds. The Philippines has been globally recognized as one of the sources of finely crafted bags made from a wide range of indigenous materials. More than a handful have been noticed for superb quality, excellent craftsmanship and extraordinary design under the labels Aranas, Rafe and latest sensation Bea Valdes as hailed in the fashion pages of Vogue, W and Harper’s Bazaar. Following their footsteps are bag lovers Cristina and Lisa Tuason who are the ingénues behind soon-to-be "IT" label TRü bags.

TRü’s humble beginnings in the bag-making industry started in 1996 when Cristina and Lisa (both graduates of Notre Dame de Namur University) were working for their family gun business. Since guns weren’t really their thing, they were in search of an avenue to express their feminine creativity and great passion for bags. They began their style-worthy venture as a sideline by making native bags in their garage to be sold in every bazaar they could get into. Their dedication and persistence through the years of creating bags on the side slowly paid off as the demand for TRü grew. The bag duo eventually jumped the "gun" and decided to "bag it" full time. This 100 percent family-owned class act has grown out of the garage into an apartment and now has a factory in Sta. Ana to embrace the demands of the local and international market. A TRü bag caters to the modern sophisticated well traveled clientele that appreciate hand-crafted Philippine-made leather handbags.

"The name TRü stands for our philosophy of being true to ourselves, our designs and our customers," says Lisa. TRü to its design, the label specializes in custom-dyed cow, goat and sheep skin leather fashioned with high quality nickel and brass. Their impeccable taste and passion for fashion is evidently recognized in their choice of fine leatherwork, colour-based trends and breathtaking designs. Their natural flair for bag-making keeps the duo up to date with trends and in constant search of the latest hardware and materials. These bag ladies look up to a wide range of designers for inspiration. "We like Vuitton and Hermes for classic, timeless designs; Marc Jacobs and Mulberry for edginess and hardware; Kate Spade for her simplicity and marketing spirit," says Lisa. Though TRü is irresistibly chic, it remains unpretentious because it is made to appeal to our cultural sensibilities. Their principle lies in balancing both design and function wherein shape is essential, style is uncomplicated and is a practical investment. These limited no-nonsense indulgences are TRü to their origins and are more than just an eye-catching object of impulse.

TRü to its customers, the label prides itself in providing unparalleled customer service. "We want our customers to feel that they are getting the best product and service possible," says Cristina. Aside from guaranteed quality and craftsmanship of their products, TRü’s personal approach offer warranties on all items, cleaning and customizing current styles to fit the needs of their clients. Furthermore, Lisa adds, "Our products undergo strict quality control and personally tested to withstand the rigors of daily use."

TRü to themselves, Cristina says, "A bag is an extension of personal style." Their hobby-turned-passion aims to go beyond their bags’ feminine allure and first impressions. Those bags are created to be treasured chic essentials based on practical easy elegance. "Bags are fun, fashionable and functional," Lisa states. The essence of their prized possession lies in the business in style that translates to versatility and longetivity.

TRü’s vision of tomorrow is moving towards playing up the global market in the next two years. With an existing base operation in the US, TRü is currently manufacturing for a wide range of clientele in the US, Australia, London and Sweden under private labels. The dynamic bag lovers believe that their object of favourites can compete in this lust-for-bags industry. TRü dreams of countless possibilities to bag the world as fashion continues to pay tribute to this new icon. What was once a piece of fascination is now a TRü obsession.