Crafted

It has been a decade of craft for iconic Filipino bag brand Fino Leatherware that has been in the fashion industry for a little over three decades. Founders of the household name in local bags, Rommel and Rose Ann Bautista collaborated with a creative to what is now a decade old Artisan collection.

Deeply rooted in Philippine culture and tradition, their designs immortalize crafts inspired from history and reinvented into contemporary creations.

They have become one of the stalwarts in fashioning the “Pinoy” bag and benchmark in the excellent leatherware.

This year Fino presented ‘Hats Off’—a celebration of Filipino craftsmanship, heritage and honors its commitment in keeping local craft relevant and alive. The brand’s signature hand-woven and wrapping leatherwork and chaining techniques are woven into modern design to create bags and small items that are both practical, stylish and now.

The collection will feature the same hand-crinkled vegetable-tanned leather as the original 2015 collection, with new colors and modern silhouettes.

The 2025 edition reworks these intricate handle elements and expands upon the world of Fino’s Artisan Collection to create pieces that honor the past and build a new future

Hats Off is a special edition saluting the Filipino artisans. Fino presented artisan hats made in collaboration with Lucban Hats and JCV Enterprise using native abaca and raffia fibers with leather trimmings. The highlight is the collaboration with the brand’s first ever model, fashion icon Jo Ann Bitagcol, through a style vignette that merges fashion, memory, and material.

Bitagcol’s garments provide a beautiful counterpoint to Fino’s leatherwork and accessories, weaving a shared narrative of heritage and reinvention.

Supermodels and the craft bags: A timeline