“New Day, New Bag!” Miss Jay-Ann would always quip on her vlogs.
We are enamored with the way Miss Jay-Ann, or Jay Ann Claire Ballesteros-Bincal in real life, guides fashion girlies on how to spot an authentic Hermès, as she vlogs how she assists her top clientele when they purchase a statement bag from her boutique: Purse Maison.
From authentic Hermes, Chanel, LV or Goyard, Purse Maison has got it all for bag aficionados. Before her Purse Maison became a famous destination for luxury bags, Miss Jay-Ann actually started out as a certified public accountant.
How It All Started
Growing up with a family of Accountancy graduates, Jay-Ann always knew she was eventually going to take the same path.
“My mom instilled in me in my early age that being an accountant would be good, because she said, every business needs an accountant,” Jay-Ann shared during an interview with STYLISH.
Did you know that Jay-Ann actually graduated as a magna cum laude from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines?
“I don’t share it online to my audience, but I actually finished as a magna cum laude. After I finished my Accountancy degree, I fulfilled my mom’s dream to become a CPA. Then I started working for SGV & Co., a top auditing firm in the Philippines. I worked there for two years.”
A Swift Transition
During her career as an accountant, she would notice that her then-boyfriend, Ricky Bincal, was earning a lot of money from selling gym supplements online.
“He was a licensed customs broker, but made a shift in his career as an online seller. He was earning a lot of money exponentially, so I got inspired. Eventually, I helped him with what he was building in business. E-commerce was just about to boom in the Philippines that time,” she shared. “There was so much stigma about being an online seller, but we chose to work hard.”
“Our online stores on social media and websites were doing really well. Eventually, we started Perfume Philippines (www.perfumes.com.ph).”
“It was one of the first online stores on Instagram and one of the pioneers of e-commerce shopping in the Philippines. We were the first to do ex-deals with top celebrities way back when Instagram was just starting. We would visit Heart Evangelista at her tapings or shoots, and our perfumes of bottles would be sold out because of her. Her influence was really impactful to our business. We were blessed,” she narrated.
Eventually, Jay-Ann & her husband became the first people who were tapped to be an online seller on Lazada, and became one of the pioneer perfume suppliers on the platform.
“My then-boyfriend and I were really hands-on with our business. It could be so tiring. When we were earning a lot of money already, my husband pushed me to reward myself with a luxury bag.”
And so she bought her first LV during a trip to Hong Kong.
“I rewarded myself with a Louis Vuitton Favorite MM. After two to three months, I bought another LV luxury bag. It was sort of addicting to reward myself because we were working so hard.”
“I remember one time during one of our airport stops, I was in a Chanel store and I saw a Chanel Boy bag, and I was told I could not touch it if I won’t buy it. So I told myself, one day, I would buy a Chanel Boy bag.”
During their honeymoon trip in Europe, she did make it happen.
“My husband was really pushing me to buy the Chanel Boy bag that I’d been eyeing. Since we were in the flagship store of Chanel in Paris, my husband really wanted it as my honeymoon gift.”
“After that, he encouraged me to buy the Chanel Classic Flap too. I still remember back then, it was only around 200,000php after the tax refund. Now, the price for a brand new one has already reached 700,000php, proving the value only increases for Chanel bags.”
That’s how her personal luxury bag collection really began.
“Eventually, I was fortunate to connect with an Hermès SA who helped make my dream of owning a Birkin a reality. By then, my luxury bag collection was steadily growing. The SA I met at Hermès Greenbelt in Makati was just starting to build her client network at the time, which made the experience even more memorable. It was my first Birkin directly from the boutique, and I was her very first bag allocation,” she said.
“One day, I thought, why don’t I try and post one bag to sell, and see how the customers would react?”
She shared about her experience further.
“I first tried selling my personal bags on Carousell, and I was surprised by the strong demand for luxury items. When someone inquired about my Chanel Classic Flap, I backed out because I realized I wouldn’t be able to repurchase it at its original price—especially since Chanel tends to increase prices twice a year. That moment made me think: why not source bags from other people and earn through commissions?”
“At the time, I was very cautious about authenticity, so I took it upon myself to learn everything from scratch. I immersed myself in Facebook groups, joined international forums, and read countless articles to understand the ins and outs of luxury authentication.”
The Start of Purse Maison
During the pandemic, Jay-Ann realized from her observation that people were becoming more and more into online shopping, because there’s not much to do.
“I noticed a strong demand for Chanel bags here in the Philippines, especially since we don’t have a Chanel boutique locally. Fortunately, I had an existing relationship with a Chanel SA in Hong Kong. At the time, their physical store was struggling due to the lockdown, which gave me the idea to tap a friend—who’s a Hong Kong resident—to shop on my behalf for a minimal fee and have the items shipped to the Philippines.”
“I was also lucky to have friends and relatives in Europe who could shop for me, making it easier to source pieces directly from luxury boutiques such as Chanel, LV, and Gucci abroad.
Jay Ann had a taste of her first viral moment with her stint in luxury bag selling.
“My initial capital was Php 5 million, which I used to invest in a number of Chanel bags. I posted them online, and the response was overwhelming. That’s when I realized I could seriously pursue the luxury bag business—especially since I had the advantage of sourcing directly from abroad through trusted friends and relatives, along with strong relationships with boutique SAs.”
“Friends would then ask for help from me to sell their luxury bags, so I accepted consignment, since my goal was to make luxury bag shopping become more accessible and sustainable.”
That’s how Purse Maison started.
“Maison is the French word for “home” and purse is perfect because we are selling bags and purses. So we named our store Purse Maison.”
What truly set Purse Maison apart is how it changed the way people shop for luxury bags on Instagram, as this girl boss solved a problem that many didn’t even realize existed.
“I noticed that most resellers would post just one photo, sometimes without even including the price or any real details. As a buyer myself, I knew how frustrating that could be.”
Jay Ann focused on simplifying the shopping experience of the customers.
“I made it my goal to simplify the experience. I started posting everything a buyer would want to know—’when worn’ shots, videos, measurements, detailed descriptions, condition, and, most importantly, the price. That way, by the time someone sent us a message, their only question was: ‘How do I buy?’”
“We took it a step further by launching our own website and mobile app to make luxury shopping even more seamless and convenient—because luxury doesn’t have to be complicated. That has always been our mission: to make luxury shopping accessible, sustainable, and simple. And I truly believe that when you solve a real problem and stay committed to your vision, success naturally follows.”
Shopping Tips and Business Hacks
Jay-Ann shared her top tips to consider before buying a bag.
“First, check your budget. You don’t want to go broke just to buy a luxury bag. Check your budget first, and stick to that budget. Then, consider the functionality of the bag you’re buying.”
“Then, analyze yourself about the purpose of buying. Is it for status symbol, a reward for yourself? Or is the bag for investment piece?”
When it comes to business, she has one mantra.
“Focus on yourself and your personal growth—because that’s how you create real direction. The moment you start constantly comparing yourself to others or fixating on competitors, you’re only creating distractions. Stay in your lane, stay consistent. Work hard, stay grounded & pray.”
You may shop authentic luxury bags at Purse Maison.
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Ruffa Gutierrez is on the cover of STYLISH Magazine for Mother’s Month 2025.
Read the full cover story here.
Get to know more of Ruffa Gutierrez in one of the episodes of STYLISH Podcast coming this May 2025.
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