By Abegail Esquierda

Copyright tribune

Not a nepo baby, nor the wife of a wealthy man, yet she is fierce, full of grit, and ready to win the game.Dr. Jennifer Boles, Ph.D., founder of Très Chic Luxury Original and recipient of the Philippine Empowered Woman of the Year 2025 award, graced the 26 September episode of “Pairfect”. She shared her remarkable journey in fashion — one that elevated not only her look but also her life status and social involvement.She began her business with just ₱15,000, money she raised by selling Coach bags that had been gifted to her. Interestingly, Boles admits she has never been fond of bags or material wealth. “I mean, who wouldn’t want them? But without those things, we won’t die. I just want a simple life,” she said. Little did she know that this small step would spark a transformation that changed her life for the better.Her first attempt came through Facebook Live selling. Within an hour, all the bags were sold out. That was in 2018. Seizing the opportunity, she looked for suppliers. Yet despite the fast-moving sales, Boles emphasized the importance of honesty. She pointed out that it was impossible for a pre-loved Gucci to sell for only ₱2,500 or ₱3,000, since even secondhand bags should cost around ₱20,000 at the lowest price. To protect her integrity and her customers, she was upfront that the items at that stage were “not guaranteed” luxury pieces.Eventually, with earnings from these early sales, she invested in pre-loved bags of her own. “I am now sure those are original,” she recalled proudly. Because pre-loved items often come with flaws, she meticulously repaired them before reselling, adding value and earning more.When the pandemic hit, instead of slowing down, her business flourished. “Many wealthy women felt ashamed because they didn’t want issues like, ‘Oh, you must be struggling.’ So they would quietly approach me, saying, ‘Maybe you can just sell this…’” Boles shared.From selling just three bags, she now runs a physical store in Quezon City filled with countless items. She even joked that in the beginning, it was the damages that were “uncountable.” Today, she proudly says that half of her products are in excellent condition.To strengthen her expertise, she studied authentication in Malaysia. With the help of a 99.1% accurate machine from Japan, her store can now verify the authenticity of every item. On top of that, she assures customers with a lifetime money-back guarantee. If a bag bought from them — even 10 years ago — is proven fake, the buyer gets a full refund, no matter how long the item has been used.Success, however, hasn’t made her self-centered. On the contrary, it has fueled her desire to give back. “I don’t even know where my wealth came from; I’ll just share it with the universe,” she explained.One of her most impactful projects was helping the Aeta community with their water crisis. Seeing how residents had to trek to the mountains just to fetch water — “I heard the government could no longer reach it,” she said — she decided to act. She bought a long hose that redirected water from the mountains down to the community. “I had it set up for them last December. Now they’re able to plant, they have livelihoods, they even have pensions,” she said with joy.That is just one of the many ways Dr. Jennifer Boles gives back for the blessings she has received — a true testament to how passion, integrity, and compassion can turn “bags into riches.”