Everyone in Manila Seems to Be Carrying This Tote

Carry Om celebrates its first Omniversary with seven artist collaborations, customizable Mala bags, and live bag-making in Makati.

If you’ve spent time in Manila recently, you’ve probably seen it. A tote with a distinctive silhouette, structured but relaxed, slung over a shoulder in a café, tucked under an arm at the airport, or carried through yoga studios, design offices, and weekend markets.

It’s the Mala tote by Carry Om, and quietly it has become one of the most recognizable bags in the city. Some bags go viral. Some bags get advertised. The Mala tote just started showing up everywhere. And once you start noticing it, you cannot unsee it.

This March 28 and 29, Carry Om celebrates its first-ever Omniversary, a two-day OMmUNITY gathering in Makati bringing together artists, makers, Omrades, and the growing community behind the brand. Carry Om is only 365 days into this new chapter, but the bags already seem to have made themselves at home across Manila.

(left) Mala L in Psychedelic by Ommie @jonatownd 
(right) Mala L in Dune by Ommie @moveslikejorenz

The Mala tote has become Carry Om’s hero product for a reason. It is expressive but practical, structured but flexible, distinctive without trying too hard. Its silhouette makes it instantly recognizable, while its reversible design gives it two personalities in one bag. Flip it inside out and suddenly it feels like a different bag entirely.

Two bags in one. Your wallet has been warned.

Students carry it, entrepreneurs carry it, artists carry it, and parents carry it. It moves easily between work, travel, and everyday life. And because Carry Om works with limited and upcycled fabrics, every bag carries a little bit of unpredictability.

Most people don’t walk in planning to buy one. They usually start with the same line.

“Titingin lang ako.”

Or sometimes, “Iikot lang ako.”

That line will not work here.

This Omniversary is entirely Carry Om with no other brands but Om to make tinging. Every corner, every table, the middle of the room, even the people making the bags everywhere all at once.

And don’t say you haven’t been warned.

LEFT JIM WEAVER Tarsier No Evil, MIDDLE JETHRO OLBA , RIGHT SAB CABREDO The Season of Becoming

1. Jim Weaver Jim Weaver is a Filipino brand known for playful illustrated characters and colorful storytelling translated into fashion and lifestyle pieces. Their work blends whimsy, personality, and bold color, turning everyday objects into wearable art.
2. Wheresiriusdan is a Manila-based artist and café owner known for dreamy, offbeat illustrations and surreal characters. His work lives somewhere between street art, playful imagination, and cosmic humor.
3. Jethro Olba (Antibiotic Smile) Jethro Olba is the illustrator behind Antibiotic Smile, a brand known for nostalgic, squiggly, lowbrow-inspired graphics influenced by 80s and 90s pop culture.
4. Sab Cabredo  is a Filipino artist known for vibrant, playful illustrations and expressive characters that bring humor and personality to contemporary visual storytelling.
5. RiesoLai is a multidisciplinary artist and an Omrade of Carry Om whose work blends bold graphics and imaginative characters, bridging creativity and craftsmanship within the brand.
6. Deejae Paeste is a Filipino-American graffiti artist whose work is rooted in street lettering, bold color, and the raw energy of urban art.
7. Bitto of Studio Bitto is known for whimsical character design and playful visual storytelling that brings humor and imagination into everyday objects.

LEFT DEEJAE PAESTE CarryBao, MIDDLE BITTO Bitto in Transit, RIGHT RIESOLAI

Why The Seven

Carry Om’s first Omniversary is a celebration of community, so it only felt right to collaborate with artists who are already part of the Carry Om universe.

Carry Om traces its connection with Deejae Paeste back to Makati’s Poblacion, where the founders would often bump into him. In a neighborhood where entrepreneurs, artists, and creatives constantly cross paths, the friendship grew naturally. Deejae is both an Ommie and a creative, making the collaboration feel inevitable.

Carry Om met Bitto of Studio Bitto through an event invitation when the brand was just starting last year. What began as a simple introduction quickly grew into a fond of each other's work. With Bitto being both an Ommie and an artist, working together felt like the most natural thing.

Sab Cabredo and her family were among the earliest collectors of Carry Om. When most people were still discovering the brand, Sab dared first and soon enough the rest of her family got “budoled” into the Carry Om bug bite.

Wheresiriusdan has also been part of the Carry Om story. His humble café in Mandaluyong has served as a platform for the brand several times. Ever since, the idea of placing his out-of-this-world illustrations on Carry Om bags has been something we’ve talked about. Now it’s finally happening.

Jim Weaver’s Bunny fell in love with our bags and we fell in love with her personality, their brand, and her smile. She brings a brightness to every event we participate in. The Carry Om founders lovingly own several of their pieces, just as they own Carry Om bags. JIM WEAVER'S love for color feels deeply aligned with ours.

RiesoLai is Carry Om's Omrade, Ommie, and jokingly Ompon (ampon) because the founders often tease that she’s practically an extended child of the family. We first met Lai at an event in Wheresiriusdan’s café. Eventually she eventually joined the Omrades. As an artist and a core part of the Carry Om team, it felt only right that she represent the community from within.

And Jethro Olba of Antibiotic Smile holds a special place in our hearts. We’ve collected his work over the months whenever we happened to be co-merchants at pop-ups. There’s a strong sense of nostalgia in what he creates, and we even shared a memorable event during a launch at Bratpack. Collaborating with him simply felt meant to be.

Working with these seven artists is deeply heartwarming for us. When we first imagined the Omniversary, these were the only seven artists we reached out to and every single one of them said yes.

WHERESIRIUSDAN. The prints by WHERESIRIUSDAN will be more unique and one-offs during the event

Design Your Own Mala Tote

For the first time in Carry Om’s 365-day history, customers will be able to build their own Mala tote. Choose the artist print that speaks to you, then customize the bag with:

Custom print by your selected artist

1 charm by Mold

Choice of 1 charm by Profanity

Choice of anik-anik strap color

Choice of inside pocket color

At this point the bag is basically becoming your personality. Which is exactly the point.

Watch Your Bag Being Made

This is where things get even more interesting.

Carry Om’s senior sewers will be making the bags live during the event. Yes, actually sewing them right there. Once your selections are finalized, you will be able to watch as your Mala tote moves through the process. Fabric prepared, pieces stitched together, and the bag assembled on the spot.

This is the moment where the bag stops being an idea and becomes something you can carry home.

No pressure.

A Gathering of Ommies

The Omniversary is less of a traditional retail event and more of a gathering for the people who have been part of the Carry Om journey.

Visitors can expect artist collaborations, customizable bags, live bag-making, new releases, music, and good food.

Food will be provided by Cosmic because bag shopping is serious work.

Also, Omrades will be present. They are friendly, knowledgeable, and very good at what they do. If you came just to look, we respect that. We just cannot promise you will leave the same way.

The First Omniversary

Carry Om’s first Omniversary will take place on:

March 28–29, 2026

11AM to 8PM

3rd Floor Open Space

YL Holdings Building

Legazpi Village, Makati

Admission is free.

Come see the artists, design your own bag, and watch it being made.

And if you leave with a tote or totes…

Well.

That was between you and the Omrades.

So spread this around. Save it as your own OMvitation to the OMniverse. See you, Ommie.