It all started on TikTok. I was aimlessly scrolling through my FYP (as one does) when I spotted the now-viral video by @mxreeselatonio, aka Reese Collins Latonio.
Collins is a BS Clothing Technology junior at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and on Tuesday, March 19, he and his lucky classmates got to meet and receive fashion advice from designer Michael Leyva and style icon Heart Evangelista.
@mxreeselatonio an absolute pinch me moment !! hearing @Heart Evangelista compliment my bag and even want to wear it around already when i just gave it was so precious to me i can't believe she loves it. thank you so much heart for your support ???? this is the leatherette maxi bow bag in cream !! the waiting list is available on my instagram, but you can otherwise dm me for it !! #heartevangelista #bowbag #coquette #leather #leatherette #leatherbag #handmade #smallbusiness #commission ? Jungle Back on 74 - Shay’s Dance Archive
Heart Evangelista and the viral 'Bow Bag' video on TikTok
On the day of the talk, Collins had the opportunity to have a quick chat with Heart. Calling it "an absolute pinch me moment," the student designer was thrilled to hear how much she adored his creation.
"It's so nice! I was just looking at that kanina!" Heart excitedly exclaimed after gesturing at the maxi shoulder bag. "Ang ganda!"
For Collins, hearing Heart compliment the bag—and even want to wear it!—"was so precious to me, I can't believe she loves it."
Netizens agreed, quickly flooding Collins' comment section with requests for their own bag. Even celebrities like beauty queen turned actress Thia Thomalla asked, "Where can I buy this???"
What You Need To Know About Collins' Big Bow Bag
After his TikTok video went viral, Collins decided to fulfill commissions and open pre-orders for the internet's new It Bag. He uploaded several FAQ videos on his TikTok to answer everyone's questions, so here's a summary:
Material and Build
The Bow Bag is made of faux leather, and the inside lining is brush twill. It has a magnetic snap enclosure attached to a piece of leather that goes inside your bag.
Color
The Bow Bag started with four standard colorways: Maroon, Ballet Pink, Cream, and Black. The most recent color addition is the Limited Edition Lime Green.
Size and Capacity
The Big Bow Bag comes in two sizes: Maxi and Midi. The Maxi is the original size, a.k.a. the one Heart Evangelista wore (and what Collins totes around for school). It's 18" x 14" x 5", and although there is no laptop partition, it does fit a 13"-16" laptop!
"I have a 13-inch Macbook and I'm able to fit it snuggly with my 1L water bottle, my umbrella, and my sewing kit altogether in the bag with some space to spare," Collins revealed. There is also an inner pocket to keep smaller things within reach and organized (so they don't get lost in the bag), like your wallet or keys.
Meanwhile, the Midi is 14" x 10" x 5", so it can still function as a work or daily bag, especially for people who don't carry around as much stuff. Collins said a 13" laptop fits in the Midi size, btw!
Price
During the initial Maxi Bow Bag drop on Sunday, March 3, it was priced at P3,500. However, the bags are now priced at P4,500 for the Maxi bags and P4,000 for the Midi bags. As Collins explained, the higher price is due to the increase in demand, which requires him to expand production by outsourcing labor.
My experience with the Big Bow Bag
After seeing the TikTok video, I was torn between filling out the pre-order form or waiting till the next drop (mainly because I was on a #nobuy month). However, I immediately regretted not pulling the trigger after reading his interview with Preview. When I saw that Collins had closed commissions, I quickly sent him a DM on Insta.
Fast forward a couple of days later, and on March 31 I managed to snag a waitlist spot! As stated in my order form, the bags were slated to be sent out between the months of June to September. Since I was part of Batch 2, I received my Maxi Bow Bag in Cream on Sunday, June 16.
Collins shipped out the bags in an adorably packaged custom box. Each bag comes with a greeting card and a custom dust bag. How cute!
The moment I took it out of the box, I fell in love. Although my back certainly appreciates the backpack I carry around for work, I've always wanted an oversized tote or shoulder bag to look more "dressed up" when bringing my laptop to events. The Maxi Bow Bag has become my new work bag, and I literally take it with me everywhere.
FYI, the Maxi size actually does fit a lot. It's quite roomy, and I still had enough space to stash a couple more items (or a lightweight jacket—useful if you're lamigin and your office aircon is always blasting!).
Here's what can fit inside my Maxi Bow Bag:
- 14" Macbook Pro (take note, it weighs 1.61kg so you'll definitely notice the weight on your shoulder at the end of the day!)
- 16oz Hydro Flask
- Baseball cap
- Small umbrella
- Wallet
- Phone (the iPhone 15 Pro can fit inside the inner pocket)
- Powerbank
- A small pack of tissue
- Sunglasses
- Emergency/medicine kit
- EpiPen (sadly, a necessity for me)
- Pen
- Lippies
The inner pocket is surprisingly deep—I can fit my phone, EpiPen, sunglasses, emergency kit, a small pack of tissue, a pen, lip products, and earphones inside!
Celebrities spotted wearing the Big Bow Bag
Heart Evangelista
The Fashion Week mainstay actually brought her Bow Bag all the way to Paris! Calling it "a bag full of LOVE" and tagging Collins in the caption, Heart shared a stunning photo snapped by photographer Edward Berthelot.
After Collins thanked Heart, the actress left words of encouragement for the student designer: "Your heart, passion, and talent will always win." As a sweet gesture, Heart also gave a shoutout to the UPD BS Clothing Tech students, and revealed that she brought all their gifts with her to Paris!
BINI Maloi
BINI's Maloi actually scored a custom dual colorway commission! Her ballet pink Maxi Bow Bag has the most adorable maroon ribbon—truly #MaloiCore. Sadly, this was during the time Collins was still doing custom commissions, so if you missed out then keep your fingers crossed for a future pre-order.
@mxreeselatonio Replying to @kim i never got around to posting this kasi lumabas siya in the middle of finals pero !! hehe she actually got one from me too !! this was during the time i was still doing custom commissions :)) video from @starmagicphils hehe @loiverever?? #maloicore #bini #binimaloi #maloi #bowbag #pink #coquette #biniday #fashion #fashionph #fyp #tiktokph ? original sound - collins ! (he/they)
Vice Ganda
Collins recently had the chance to personally gift Vice Ganda with a Maxi Bow Bag in ballet pink. Sharing the experience on TikTok, he emotionally revealed that Vice was his childhood hero, "even before I realized I was gay and trans."
Collins felt extremely proud to be able to give Vice something he designed. "She's everything to me and she continues to become a beacon for the community, and get to even witness her greatness is a genuine gift. Happy pride month to me and getting to meet my childhood idol!"
@mxreeselatonio i love meme @Vice Ganda so much, even before i realized i was gay and trans. she's my absolute childhood hero and getting to meet her and give her something of mine has made me so proud to exist and do what i do! she's everything to me and she continues to become a beacon for the community, and get to even witness her greatness is a genuine gift. happy pride month to me and getting to meet my childhood idol ! kita naman sa dulo diba na sobrang starstruck ako HUHUHU she has the maxi bow bag in pink ! #viceganda #memevice #bowbag #pink #leatherbag #leather #bow #gift #dreamcometrue #trans #transmasc #fashion #fashionph #transph #prideph #pride #happypride #june #pridemonth ? Please Please Please - Sabrina Carpenter
In a separate Instagram Story, Collins said he has always wanted to design for Vice and looks up to the longtime host in terms of fashion. "I have loved her for so freaking long, this is an absolute dream come true. I want to get better so I can get back out there and spread joy to the people who want my bow bag, because like her I am truly dedicated to my craft...I am
enamored by her capacity to champion the community and hope I can do that in my work too."
We love how Vice promised to wear the bag—it's so fitting since she's currently obsessed with bows!
Pre-orders for the Bow Bag are still open, and Reese has shared the order form link via his business IG account, @byreesecollinslatonio. Note: Upon ordering your bag, Reese requires a 50% non-refundable down payment. The remaining 50% balance will need to be paid after your bag has been created.
For all the coquette girlies out there, this might be the perfect bag for ya. *winks*
