THE PECULIAR ESSENCE

From quirky stationery and kooky, "bitter critter" doll-like notebooks come an idea for a one-of-a-kind, all-handmade bag label Quiddity

- MARIAN SAN PEDRO

Genevieve Go and her sister used to make mini handbags and accessories for their mini dolllike creatures that they sold in bazaars. From there, they started exploring the idea of adding actual life-sized handbags to their product assortment. Wanting to create something more unique and quirky in the leather goods space, they started local brand Quiddity in 2010.

Go took bag-making classes at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines and tried going around Marikina to look for internships at bag factories or leather workshops. She then decided to look abroad and was able to get a scholarship at the Accademia Riaci in Florence, Italy where she took a yearlong bag-making course. This was followed by an internship at an Italian factory in Tuscany which produces bags for several brands, including Proenza Schouler.

Here are the questions Quiddity usually starts with: How can they highlight these painstaking handcrafted details, like hand-sewn stitches or edge finishes (as these details usually blend in with the leather)? What can they do with this old school Florentine technique? How can they add value for the customer compared to any other machine-sewn, factory-produced commercial piece that might cost them a lot less?