MANILA, Philippines?Tina Maristela Ocampo?s Celestina line of clutch bags continues to, well, bag acclaim everywhere.

It is now available in such posh retail addresses as Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Neapolitan and Bergdorf Goodman in the US, as well as in choice stores in the Bahamas, Beijing, Hong Kong, Japan, London, Singapore, Istanbul, even Moscow and Kyiv in the Ukraine. The ?minaudieres? ?their sexy tag?catch the eye with their compact elegance and arresting designs.

One of Manila?s best-dressed women and a former model who produced her clothes line, Ocampo raised the stakes in her career by designing high-end, exquisitely crafted accessories which she initially sold only in New York. In no time, her Celestina clutch bags ended on the red carpet, worn by Hollywood glamazons.

Ocampo uses indigenous materials like shell, mother of pearl, wood, and animal skin for her bags, accented with metals, crystals and jewelry. They?re crafted mostly in the Philippines. They?re named after trailblazing Filipino women: Nora Aunor, for instance, is a yellow mother of pearl piece with malachite clasps, while Nena Saguil is a beige Paua shell bag with moonblue shagreen trim.

The latest Financial Times fashion special is also plugging Celestina bags??beautiful mother-of-pearl box clutches [that] are exquisitely designed and will hold their appeal for years to come,? it gushes.

They?re not just a style must-have, but are also ?great investment pieces,? adds the article.