It wasn't a planned purchase. But as always, the bag caught my attention. It looks like the Goyard St. Louis tote bag. While I still cannot afford a Goyard, other similar bags can work for now. Christy Ng is a Malaysian brand that offers shoes and bags. I discovered the brand through ad placements from my Facebook account. After a few clicks and social media algorithm, all those local Instagram based sellers appeared in my suggestions.  



I saw a number of Philippine based resellers accepting pre-orders. But as expected, their prices are higher than the retail price. A Christy Ng Russo Tote retails for Php 2,387.54, plus shipping fee of around Php 500 to the Philippines. In my case, I found a Filipino reseller from Shopee with reasonable pricing.

A few months after the purchase, here are my observations and review of the bag



1. The bag's material is sturdy, scratch and water proof  - The fabric of the bag feels like those PVC bags from Lacoste. Since it's not made from delicate leather, not worrying about possible scratches and stains is an advantage. Upon checking the website, the brand claims that its made from coated canvas and vegan leather (possibly for the straps). 

2. Quality of the stitching is great - Surprisingly, the bag has fine and quality stitching. This is something I didn't expect from a mass produced bag.



3. The inner fabric is made from thick muslin fabric - This was another surprise for me. Most faux leather or PVC bags have those thin nylon or plastic like fabric as inner lining. This wasn't the case for the Russo tote. The thick fabric makes the bag feel expensive and durable for me.

4. It has a detachable pouch - While the detachable pouch feels heavy and cannot fit a lot,  I appreciate the additional compartment it can provide for tickets and cash. 

5. If there's any disadvantage, it's the fact that the bag has no zipper and feels a bit heavy. I wish Christy Ng will produce a zip closure version. For its weight, I guess it is something expected from a usual canvas coated bag. 

6. It's always out of stock in the company's website - Unfortunately, stocks get easily depleted. This is possibly one reason why resellers are everywhere.

Will I recommend the bag? 

Definitely yes. It might get heavier when filled with my everyday stuff. But overall, I appreciate that it's one of those sturdy and low maintenance bag I can use everyday.