Whatever Happened to Yadu Bags?
The first time I laid my eyes on Yadu bags was back in 2010. They had just opened a quaint shop at The Collective, a former warehouse turned art district and events place for the hipsters of Makati. The Collective, which was located at Malugay Street, San Antonio Village, was the secret hangout of Makati’s rebellious kids, those that preferred to have a beer dressed in their ratty old sneakers while watching an indie band instead of falling in line in an exclusive club with the high-heeled crowd.
The bars and stores started folding, and the iconic B-Side Bar marked the end of an era when they closed in 2018, followed by the closure of the entire Collective, but that’s a sad story that deserves a separate blog post. Last I heard, a condo was being built in that area.
Yadu‘s shop was designed like a hidden loft in a forest, like those secret spots you would read about in children’s books. When you entered the wooden door, you’d see a collection of patchwork bags hanging from tree branches. No two bags were the same.
I met one of the designers, Bianca Holganza, who told me that each Yadu bag is made from upcycled materials. The designers would browse ukay-ukay shops (Filipino vintage shops) for clothes that have unique fabrics, some ranging back to the ’70s. They patched the fabrics onto duffels, backpacks, shoulder bags, wallets, and even guitar cases. After hours of examining every single bag in the store, I found “the one”—a blue duffel named Siva. I plucked her from the tree and bought her for an introductory price of ₱1,650 (the original price tag was ₱3,000). I also bought a purple one for my sister.
Siva soon joined my travels.
Yadu Bags started showing up on the shelves of SM Department Stores, but the hipster in me (sorry, I was young and snobbish) was a bit turned off when that happened, because it marked the commercialization of the brand. The bags no longer had names, just price tags with SM bar codes. But now I understand that in order to stay financially afloat, business steps like that were necessary. I bought other Yadu bags from SM, and was happy to see other youngsters getting excited over their unique, bohemian designs. I wanted to tell them to go to the real store in The Collective to experience plucking a bag from a tree branch, like I did.
My heart fell when the original Yadu store in The Collective closed. Soon Yadu bags also disappeared from the shelves of SM Department Store. Their last Facebook post was in December 2016. They stopped replying to messages and comments from fans asking where they moved and if they can still purchase bags. It was a slow and quiet exit.
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I’ve seen a few kids tag #YaduBags on Instagram through the years, long after they closed shop. Like them, my Yadu bags are still in great condition and continue to join me in my travels. I sometimes see the designers’ and founders’ names in magazine write-ups about sustainable fashion, but no word on our beloved Yadu.
What indie Filipino brands do you love? Is there a particular shop or fashion brand you once loved but folded? Tell me your Yadu bag story.
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Cary Om na ata sila now and they are now pissed at SM for stealing and copying their designe which was the reason why their brand closed.
Oh no, I’ve been hearing a lot of SM horror stories! Thanks for sharing. Will check out Carry Om.
The maker of yadu has their own products now…its Carry Om 🙂 i think they are new 9 months but they already reach sg market. You will love also their bags. Hope this helps.
Thanks for sharing this. Will check out Carry Om.
I had one also, bought last 2014 when I was heart broken and my eye catch YADU bag and I fell in love easily grab and pay to the counter didnt mind the price tag and still using the YADU bag up to now and I love my YADU bag so much!! . And now searching for YADU bag store to buy again and found your blog post. It breaks my heart that they don’t exist now 🙁
Thanks, Ren! Great to hear from other Yadu girls. I, too, treasure my Yadu bags.
I had one also, bought it noong 2010 sa rob.manila And a very sentimental bag for me bec i keep coming back for this specific design eh baka mabenta na,and Im saving up for it.Kasama ko palagi sa travels ko when i was single,then married and even one of my hospital bags when im going to deliver my son and until now. My yadu backpack is 13yrs old running 14 and still kicking with me. Kung meron pa sana i will buy another one. Happy to came across your blog.Nice to hear to all of Yadu girls.
Aww, I love hearing from other Yadu girls! Thanks, Chona. Hope they come across this blog post and see all the comments. 🙂 Keeping my Yadu bags for life!
Looking for a smaller backpack similar to my Yadu had me searching for the brand online and found this post. Sad to know that they don’t sell it anymore. Feels lucky that I still have mine in good condition. Been using it for my travels thru the years upto now and I’m not alone 🙂
Glad to hear from other Yadu lovers! I’ve been extra careful with my Yadu bags now. 🙂
Got one also… It’s a well-loved item… Its been with me for 6 years…And yeah, when I tried looking for it again, no longer available even in dept store.
Yes, I feel like it’s a collector’s item now.
Yadu bags are my fave bag too. So comfy, easy to wear and bring a lot of memories with me that I’ll keep inside my heart wherever I go.
Yadu backpacks are perfect for travels or long walks! I salute all the Yadu girls who made this . So proud 🤩😍🥰
i’am now in search to find a yadu bag for myself. :)))
Wow. I just randomly thought about Yadu bags after looking at pics of myself taken yesterday wearing my Yadu backpack. I was trying to recreate a 2017 version of that pic. The thought that this bag has been with me for years delighted me. So I looked them up on IG and fb, and then google where I found your article. It’s wonderful to see that someone else wondered about the same thing (What happened to Yadu bags?) and even wrote a blog post about it in 2021.
Hi, Malja! You don’t know how happy I am to read this comment. I still wear my Yadu bags and they’re in great condition. It’s so nice to hear from other Yadu girls.