Beaded bags that are handmade in the Philippines boast meticulous
craftsmanship and attract a Hollywood clientele.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (MARCH 13, 2008) (REUTERS) - "Bella" might be Italian for beautiful -- but for Filipino
designer Bea Valdes it's the name of one of her signature stone-encrusted,
bulb-shaped bags. 
    Barely three months after she presented her collection in New York in
2005, fashion magasine "Vogue" called her creations the year's
"must-have evening bags."
    With names like "Siparaj", "Calypso" and
"Jasper", each bag is a character that tells a story. The meticulous
design and intricate beading have caught many a fashion lover's eye, including
celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Julie Delpy and designer Rachel Roy, who
have been spotted with Valdes's pieces.
    One hundred percent handmade, the bags are created by a painstaking
process where a group of artisans sew in crystals, feathers, sequins and
semi-precious stones one at a time. Some bags have up to 17,000 crystals,
while others are filled with beads that are but a millimetre in size; it's no
wonder it takes an average of 45 days to finish off one of these creations.

    And no wonder they cost at least 2,000 U.S. dollars.
    Valdes underscores the amount of time it takes to make a bag.
    "The fact that it's done by hand in this day and age. There are a
lot of things that are sort of, cut and sew, and we try and do everything from
you know, one bead at a time, which is, if you think about it, is the
traditional way of how things were made," she said.
    The signature bulb-shaped bags are inspired by the designer's
background in industrial design, her choice of material influenced by previous
work as an interior designer.  With no formal training in fashion, Valdes's
design process is organic, borne out of a lengthy process of trial and
error.
    Still a small operation, it began with four artisans  which now houses
30. But it takes eight months for a beader to master the process before
jumping in. Valdes also allows each artisan to work on a single bag, to
emphasise ownership of their work. 
    "We are proud of ourselves that our work has made it to other
countries.  Bags that have passed our hands are now being used by Hollywood
stars," said Berning Mariscotes, as she works on a bag called
"Oona", the result of a request for Valdes to use a peacock as
inspiration.
    Her bags have landed in celebrity events in Hollywood, Venice, London
and Paris; and her global clientele is expanding.
    "When people see my pieces they don't immediately associate it
with being Filipino - because of the designs specifically - but when I tell
them that it's all hand made in the Philippines then they recognise the fact
that yes, this kind of work can only be done in the Philippines and that's
something I'm very happy with as well," said Valdes.
    Manila's own elite set has embraced Valdes's creations, which were
exhibited in a recent fashion event at the city's financial district on
Thursday (March 13).
    Lulu Tan Gan is a prominent fashion designer in the Philippines and
owns two Bea Valdes bags. She compliments how they can be both functional and
fashionable at the same time. Most of all, she is proud that it is made in the
Philippines.
    "Now that there's so much production, from too many countries
coming from everywhere I would say that one of the pride that we have, of the
Philippines, is still handwork and we're losing a lot of them because most of
them have gone to the factory work and all that. And I'm glad to see handwork
coming back especially when I saw the collection of Bea," Tan Gan
said.
    Valdes' bags are available in Europe, the U.S. and Asia at high-end
boutiques.