Meet Dennis Robles, The Man Manila Calls When Craving That Impossible-to-Get Luxury Bag

(SPOT.ph) The Rare Collective Manila storefront is an unassuming one. Dressed in neutral tones that blend into the street, it isn't until we head up a flight of stairs—where a beautifully-lit atelier with walls lined in rare designer bags and shoes awaits—that it hits: we're surrounded by millions. Christmas music, plush chairs, and, of course, owner Dennis Robles in his crisp white shirt and avant garde jeans, help to make us feel at ease once more. Robles encourages us to sit, asks if we’re parched, and exudes every bit of welcoming. To sum up what he does for a living, he makes dreams come true for those in search of bags encountered once in a lifetime.

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Here's a peek inside Rare Collective Manila

“The items that we have here are the hard-to-get items. If it’s an easy-to-get designer item, then you can just easily go to the store and buy it yourself. But if you're looking for something that's really rare—anything—no matter how rare, we can source it for you,” he explains.

“These bags are rare, hard-to-get Birkins and Kellys. But if you're willing to pay the premium, then we can get it for you. The only reason why some people are not able to get it is because they've been waiting to get it from the store at retail price, but it will take several purchases also, and years of waiting.”

For the uninitiated, the Birkin and Kelly are two of the most highly coveted bags in the world, all crafted by hand under the roof of French luxury brand Hermès. The meticulous process results in a bag not anyone can have.

The Elusive Hermès bags; How to get one

Unlike other bags, one would have to climb metaphorical mountains to acquire one straight from an Hermès store. You don’t just waltz in and ask for one. In fact, you won’t even see it on shelves. The French house offers it to a select pool of clients who have shown great loyalty to the brand via accumulated purchases spread across a period of time. According to Robles, the ratio is usually two to one. For example's sake, let's say a bag is worth P10,000—we're being terribly modest here—you need to spend twice that amount as proof of devotion to the brand.

The country from which you’re getting it from matters, too. "In Paris, it's by lottery system. So you need to [participate in the lottery] every day while you're there," he says. "You have to be in Paris because they [give] an appointment the same day that you tried applying for one, and then give [you a visiting time scheduled] for the next day. So if you're flying out the next day, you'll miss it."

There are roughly 30,000 applicants per day, Robles tells us. From this number, 30 are selected. That's a 0.1% chance.

We let Robles walk us through the process and intricacies. If you're lucky enough to be one of the 30 chosen, you have to be on time for the appointment given to you. If it says 10:30 a.m., you have to be there early at best, just to err on the side of caution. Then it's an interview from there.

“The SA (sales associate) will sit you down and then she'll ask you which items specifically you're looking for. We're talking about bags only, you can buy the others like homewares and smaller items. [Those] don't need an appointment, but for leather goods, you need to make an appointment, even just for wallets.”

Tha aforementioned spend ratio is not fixed and other factors come into play: your relationship with your sales associate, the store's inventory and client waitlist, and the items you’ve previously bought. For the best chances, Robles builds an account with just one store so all spending is tabulated in just one place. In his case, he shops in Paris, but he has a deep and extensive network that spans multiple countries and languages outside of his own account.

And even then, you don’t even fight for a chance to get the bag—you fight for a chance to be presented with one.

“Once you get there, you get to be interviewed by the SA and she asks you directly what you want. And then she goes down, she checks on your record and she will establish which bag would fit you or fit your category as a buyer. If you don't really spend that much…If you’re lucky, you’ll probably get a starter bag like a Picotan, an Evelyne, or a Garden Party and for the new ones, non-Birkin, non-Kelly,” says Robles.

“But if they establish that you're an old client who's been spending this much every year, then you get a bigger chance of getting a Birkin or Kelly—but again, [the SA] would ask you 'What if we don't have a Kelly 20, or what if we don't have this color?' Then she would bring out something else.”

Spending a lot and building a good reputation among staff doesn't always guarantee the bag of your dreams. You might be presented some other color that's not exactly what you had in mind.

"If you pass up on it then you lose your chance. That's it for you. Most people just buy it. It's [close] to impossible to get another chance so they would just buy it and they would just sell it to people like me. I buy it from them at a profit so they make money from it. Everyone's happy because they get to dispose [of] it, they need a little money. And I have a new stock. And it sits in the store while it waits for its new [home].”

Thank heavens for Robles whose mission it is to rid the bag-obsessed of her vexation.

“That's what we can offer. For those people who are frustrated, and can't wait anymore to get the bag of their dreams, that's how we help them. We get it for you as long as you're willing to pay the premium. Then it's here. You're gonna get it in two weeks.”

“You’ll get it from somebody in my huge network that I established in the last 20 years. I know the reputable people, the collectors, so I know that this collector has this bag. So if a client specifically wants one specific bag, I will try to bother her, like 'Hey, would you want to resell it?' and they make a little money or upgrade it to a better and better bag.”

This is the role Robles plays: He buys your dream bag from someone else who might not want it that much, or someone who's looking to make a profit off of it. That client now has the money to buy a bag she likes more, or she just has money at her disposal for something else she'd like. Once Robles has secured your bag, it lands safely on your lap—all for the right price.

In the end, everyone wins.

One of the most eye-catching pieces in Robles' BGC store is an Hermès Kelly in rich burgundy. The bag is at least 30 years old but had we not been told, I would have guessed it was made three days before, bought through Robles’ magical connections, and shipped straight to Taguig City from France to sit pretty on a pedestal for a discerning buyer to bring home. Seeing it up-close invited the opportunity to see an equally dazzling sibling—an Hermès Kelly in the same size and leather, but this time in an opulent emerald green. I had only ever seen it in photos, and its make proves to be miles ahead in person.

“These bags appreciate over time. It's something you could pass on to your granddaughters. There are bags here [that are] 20 plus years old. There's some bags here that's almost as old as me. And they still have the value. It's something that that person will enjoy for the rest of her life.”

The making of Dennis Robles

Rare Collective Manila carries bags and goods many would consider to be storied and vintage, and yet the store itself is less than a year old. Opened only in 2023, Robles says it’s been roughly six months since he started redirecting clients to the store and meeting them in person in BGC.

“We already had a proper opening but now we're still tweaking some things that need to be fixed," he says. "We already have consignments, [and have] some sales, so everything's doing so well."

Despite Rare Collective Manila’s youth, Robles has been moving designer bags for at least two decades, and every transaction that began online or via call transitioned to meet-ups convenient to the client or at his own place.

In its rough beginnings, Robles relied on old-fashioned ads to inform people he was selling bags. This was a time when Facebook selling groups and online marketplaces were yet to take off in the Philippines. What started as a side-hustle and refusal to be confined to a strict office space has now become Robles’ calling, and it’s only gotten bigger from there.

“I've always been fascinated with luxury goods since I was in high school. It's probably due to my friends’ influence also. At the time, when there were no Hermès yet, we would only buy Ralph Lauren. I was so much into designer jeans, Versace, Ralph Lauren, and those types. And then when I went to college, during my later years of schooling, I started doing business, which is the buy-and-sell of Prada bags and those brands, the starter designer goods. At that time, it was only those that the Philippines had a market for,” Robles recalls.

“Whenever my friends’ moms or my aunts would have designer goods and they want to get rid of it or upgrade, they would tell me 'Dennis, can you sell this for me?' So I would upgrade it to another model or something. Even if it was a pre-owned one, I would advertise in buy-and-sell magazines [or leaflets]...everything's there, from cars to watches to real estate, and there's some designer goods. So I found some clients there actually, believe it or not, and from there, up to now, some of them are still my friends and clients and it grew to a bigger market."

“Before, I would just do meet-ups because it's just really an online business. I would do meet-ups in malls, or my condo lobby. That's how they inspect the items. I would also deliver to their homes, if they want to. If they didn’t want to get out of their homes [but they wanted] to view the items in their homes, I would deliver it to them. I started from Multiply.”

It’s a little hard to believe such rare bags could be bought and sold online or through word of mouth, but it’s a testament to Robles’ expertise in the field and his commitment to his customers’ needs that such things take place.

Word started spreading about Robles. “I got referred [early in the day]. I started self-studying how to authenticate. They had Louis Vuitton in 6750 back then and Prada inside Rustans. I would go there to check the difference between the real and the fake ones. That's how I learned and I would shop also once in a while if I [had] extra money. And then from there I think that's how I really [seriously got] into it. In the beginning it was just like a side job, I didn't really have a proper job at the time. I was just doing this side hustle that turned into a real business eventually."

“When I started selling Hermès, that’s when I saw the potential of the business, I realized that there's really a market for it and people want Hermès but they couldn't get it. When I started venturing into Hermès, I didn't go back anymore. I went from there, [then] I started branching out to watches, hard to find art pieces, Filipino art, and then this came about around a few months ago—this idea of having a store.”

Building connections

Clients are more than just transactions to Robles. They all share a love for bags and no one understands better than a fellow bag fiend. He’s tight-lipped about the affluent people who come to him for help, but for those who publicly sing his work praises, he talks about them in high regard and meets with them often outside of buying bags to catch up and travel. One notable client is Heart Evangelista who has become a great friend over the years.

“I love doing it. That's what I enjoy,” the guy says with conviction.

“The thrill for me is the chase of it. Once I get it, it gives me happiness. It's already there. You're just happy. [You look for the] next one, but [it] doesn't give you that kind of happiness [that is] forever. It's temporary happiness. The 'thrill of the chase' mindset. Same for artworks. Once you have it. You already see it on your wall. You're happy every time you see it. But you know, you move on to the next one.”

Rare Collective Manila services

All of this comes at a price, but Robles entertains anybody and everybody who can afford it. And to those who can’t just yet, he’s still open to answering questions. He’s very transparent about the process and realistic about prices. No selling pipe dreams here. “I don’t force anyone to buy,” he says.

Whoever you might be, Rare Collective Manila promises a wide array of services delivered with excellence. The staff are friendly and accommodating as they handle the goods with gloved hands, and they do their part in creating a space that allows you to get one step closer to the bag you want. Robles is also open to negotiating. We’re talking multiple zeroes here, but he’s far from heartless. In fact, you can trade in an equally rare or covetable bag from your collection to potentially cushion the costs, and he says he's open to layaway payment options.

Apart from that, he and his network find ways to make it all go round and round.

“In the event that you need money, or you need to liquidate—like some people would liquidate their bags to buy a property or a car—they can easily sell it and turn it into fast cash. That's actually one of the things we do. We buy and sell. If it's something that's not saleable in my opinion, then you can just opt to consign it with us and we try our best to dispose [of] it for you. And if you’re willing to sell it at my price, I can buy it outright.”

Robles is no stranger to scams and shoddy deals in his years authenticating luxury goods, which is why he’s adamant about raising awareness on counterfeits so people don’t get scammed. At one point, he successfully prevented a buyer from losing thousands of pesos. The production of counterfeits, passed off as the real thing, harms the industry on multiple levels, and if Robles can do his part to prevent it, he will.

Though Rare Collective houses luxury bags like rare collectibles and investment pieces, it’s also a space that aids people in taking care of their bags. They offer bag spas for designer brands, though price is dependent on brand and how much work a bag needs. They may not be able to undo serious damage or years’ worth of callous use, but they can extend a bag’s life and improve its appearance as best as they can.

And hey, if you do have that one luxury or designer bag that’s been battered through time, you’ll be happy to know this: that’s what bags are for. Robles has a huge Birkin that has seen better days, too. Bags are meant to be used, after all—just take it from the Birkin namesake; British actress Jane Birkin, who on a flight from Paris to London in 1984 complained about how she couldn’t find a bag that could carry all her stuff as a young mother. This inadvertently inspired Jean-Louis Dumas, then Executive Chairman of Hermès, to sketch something up. The rest, as they say, is history.

As we draw the chat to a close, Robles begins to share little anecdotes on his personal favorites, brands on top of his list as of late, and even that one time he scored the chance to buy an Hermès bag with the help of a beautiful friend—a feat that would be entirely impossible now. Unable to help myself, I casually joke that he makes dreams come true no matter the cost. Robles couldn’t help but chuckle when he says: “I already have. Countless times.” And with Rare Collective Manila, he intends to turn more bag dreams into reality.

Rare Collective Manila is at Unit F109, Tower 5, Rizal drive, Forbestown Road, Taguig City and is open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. For more information and an overview of their services, visit the Rare Collective Manila Instagram.