Bag It Up! BOCU and Strongvillage Team Up for a New Sustainable Must-Have

We all have that one bag we reach for almost instinctively. It carries everything we need and naturally becomes part of our daily routine without much thought. But consider the possibility that said carryall has a history of its own, with a previous life that might surprise you.

For BOCU and Strongvillage’s latest collaboration, that history begins with leftover textiles from Golden ABC’s brands. In the hands of Filipino designer Russell Villafuerte and his team, these remnants have found themselves in a rather interesting predicament: they’re now part of a limited-edition tote. Handmade with each piece carrying its own character, it’s quite the new chapter for fabrics that have already been around.

Russell Villafuerte Has a Knack for Reinvention

RELATED: Who Is Martine Rose, Balenciaga’s First Female Creative Director in Its 109-Year History?

Villafuerte, who won the MEGA Young Designers Competition in 2011, has been following his creative instincts for quite some time. He founded his independent streetwearStreetwearCasual fashion rooted in skate, hip-hop, and youth culture, defined by graphic tees, hoodies, sneakers, and limited-edition drops. Once an underground movement, streetwear now shapes luxury fashion through collaborations betweenGo to Streetwear Glossary label Strongvillage in 2018, where deconstruction and upcycling have since become familiar territory. Secondhand garments and deadstock textiles regularly make their way into his creations, often with results that even the materials themselves probably wouldn’t have anticipated.

He doesn’t always begin with a predetermined design. The colors, textures, and original forms of whatever fabrics he has on hand help determine what happens next, and it gives him plenty of room for experimentation along the way.

BOCU, meanwhile, has its own appreciation for the things we keep close. Short for Beauty in the Ordinary, Comfort in the Understated, the Golden ABC brand favors uncomplicated wardrobe essentials, making the tote a fitting addition to its offerings. With Strongvillage’s zero-waste ethos informing the collaboration, the accessory also takes on a one-of-a-kind quality through its handmade construction.

Our everyday essentials certainly have their work cut out for them. Between the things we actually need and the ones we convince ourselves to bring along, our bags tend to become repositories of our routines. With BOCU and Strongvillage’s collaboration, there’s another story tucked into the accessory itself—one that supports a good cause.

Photos courtesy of FASHION WEEK ASIA and MEGA ARCHIVES

Photographed by EXCEL PANLAQUE, ED SIMON, and TIMOTHY DUENAS

Anya Oxyn

Senior Fashion Writer

Formerly a stylist who immersed herself intimately within the Philippine fashion circuit for over three years, Anya has refined her transformative, hands-on experience into an insightful voice for MEGA Asia as a Senior Fashion Writer.

Her editorial pursuit possesses three facets: her time as an essayist during her education at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, her extensive experience in digital media and strategic storytelling, and her belief that fashion has a beating heart deeply intertwined with art, culture, society, and humanity itself that is worth uncovering.

Anya’s versatile pen spans a dynamic range of subjects, including emerging local designers, global luxury houses, beauty trends, film and television fashion analysis, cultural op-eds, major events, and beyond.

See more stories by Anya Oxyn