Filipino Entrepreneur: Outlandish Bags

Filipino Entrepreneur: Outlandish Bags from Illustrado

By Bernadette Reyes

Aside from unique materials, Outlandish bags are also one-of-a-kind pieces as no bag is exactly the same. “The bags we produce for this line are not mass produced. We either make them to suit the taste and personality of clients who order from us, or the embellishments and materials we use are very unique and limited,” Jennifer explained. “That’s why we called our bags Outlandish! They say there’s an element of surprise in every piece,” Michelle said.

A business doesn’t have to start big to become successful as proven by these young entrepreneurs. “We pitched in from our own personal savings, which is a very minimal amount, and started a small collection of bags from that,” Pam said. The business started as a hobby in 2005 for cousins Pam and Michelle Jalandoni. Pam makes the designs while Michelle took charge of accessorizing the bags. Three years after, the business expanded after Jennifer and Ana joined the team.



While all four have various degree of business background that helped launch the business, Pam said they had their share of problems and challenges particularly in the production process. “Training the staff in bag making was tedious and entailed a lot of research and consultations. Working with natural materials also had its own concerns especially on preservation.

Capitalization was also key since we had to invest on learning, equipment and development of our products. Since fashion is fast paced, we had to learn and be aware of trends,” Pam explained. Their youth at times also gets in the way of business but instead of being disheartened by these challenges, these entrepreneurs have these to say, “When you are young, mistakes are forgivable and there is still so much time to make up for them,” Jennifer said.  “Most people who have made their mark in an industry are very willing to teach young people the ropes. Their wisdom is a great help for young entrepreneurs and it will aid them all throughout,” Ana added.



Their knowledge in business also taught these entrepreneurs to become innovative. Bamboo, seeds and banana stalks might just be included in their upcoming designs and not just exclusively for bags. “We will also develop our corporate giveaways line so as to come up with more eco-ethical, patriotic designs,” Pam said.


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