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P I N O Y S T Y L E
PHOTO
LESTER LEDESMA
A
also awarded the Multiply Pinay Pride
Award at the 2012 Go Negosyo Women
Entrepreneurship Summit.
Ultimately, Bianca’s goal is to achieve
“a triple bottom-line that measures
a business’ sustainability not only
by meeting financial goals, but also
environmental and social responsibilities.”
So last September, she launched SOS
Pledges with KaEskwela, Inc., a group
of volunteers who assist public schools
with their needs. Her first project was to
provide a school bag for every satchel
sold from the two-tone collection. “We
were able to provide 200 bags to school
kids in CDO after Typhoon Sendong.” Her
latest project, KaEskwela Fans Club, has
Bianca dedicating 100% of the proceeds
of her SOS personalized luggage tags to
providing electric fans to a public school
by June. Now that’s too cool for school.
The School of Satchel,
theschoolofsatchel.
multiply.com;
also available at Heima Stores,
Analog Soul and Vanity Without Apology
(Manila) and Spruce (Cagayan de Oro).
Bags of goodwill
While working as a marketing and
communications consultant for a luxury
hotel in London, Bianca Donato saw
Philippine products in a new light. “I
noticed these rattan and abaca furniture
and capiz shell bags in magazines
and high-street shops, which I never
would have found at home because
manufacturers made them for export only.
I realized then that we had a great pool of
talent that should be known worldwide.”
After a five-year stint in the UK, she
returned to Manila to start a business.
“I asked myself, ‘How can I promote
Filipino talent? Can I create a business
that supports our local industry?’” Seeing
a lot of people traveling abroad to buy
quality leather bags and accessories, the
29-year-old came up with the idea of a
mid-range Filipino leather goods brand.
Bianca did her research and found
excellent leather manufacturers; she
also sought business advice from friends,
who were experts in strategy and retail.
After doing a few studies, they came
up with the name and logo of School of
Satchel (SOS).
Her first product was a leather satchel
inspired by English schoolbags. “The
design is classic, versatile and can be
used by anyone.” Bianca chose cowhide
because of its smooth texture, thickness
and durability. “We only use local cowhide
to help the local leather industry,” she
adds, stating that these are leftovers from
animals used for the food industry. SOS
bags are also made with larger pieces
of leather and with as little retouching
as possible. “Genuine leather bags age
gracefully and will last a long time when
taken care of.” They are all hand-cut,
hand-sewn and manually pieced together
to give them that rich, designer look
that has gotten them featured in the
local newspapers.
A year on, Bianca has grown her
business online as well as in retail
stores and at bazaars, where she talks
to customers about the virtues of local
cowhide leather. And aside from the
Philippines, she now has clients from
Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, the US and
soon, a distributor in Singapore. She was