Red October 2014

BEA MISA

Creative Native

www.inquirer.net/red

OCTOBER 2014

Editor’s Letter NATURAL HIGH Once, a friend told me that everything I see in my kitchen that’s white is actually bad for my and my family’s health, so as soon as I got home, I brought everything “white” out of the cupboard. Upon realizing how much processed food I had, I was overwhelmed with the task of having to replace all of them. My husband wasn’t happy with this sudden decision, since he wanted his rice “white,” among other things. In less than three days, my plan failed. I think because of this, I tried to switch all my beauty products to organic ones; in fact, that year I gave everyone soap from Ritual (a store owned by our cover girl Bea Misa). To this day, I still use very few organic products, but I’m happy to say I am using them more now than I used to.

I think milestones like this, no matter how small, should be celebrated. Personally, I find going organic a challenge, but there are a lot of amazing products available out there. And when I am close to nature, I find it helps me become more aware of the environment. Leon Araneta’s efforts to preserve a historical building is something I also find inspiring, but my favorite story in this issue is in our exploRED section, where we feature Rajan, the last swimming elephant, in his natural habitat.

Going natural, I think, is not always about what we ingest; it is also about what we feed our soul. My youngest always brings me home a flower whenever he returns from the park. Perhaps being aware of the beauty of our surroundings can be a start.

@riaprieto: Every time Dimitri comes from the park I get a flower. Coca cola red nails by OPI. #kids

Ria Prieto

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Contents admiRED /10

Bea Misa

Creative Native On the cover: woven paper thread top and embellished belt, Twinkle Ferraren; knit slacks, Tan-Gan; gladiator sandals, Chaz Pantangco This page: cable knit turtleneck, acquired at Aid Couture Photography Johann Bona of At East Jed Root Styling Meg Manzano Makeup Ria Aquino of MAC Cosmetics Hair Jay Aquino

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squaRED Atalyer fuses together

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devouRED Raw food, full flavors

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baRED Be kind to your skin with

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attiRED Put the petal on a pedestal

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exploRED A rare encounter with the world's

history and heritage with design

admiRED Ritual's Bea Misa on the beautiful and the obscure

these organic beauty products

with this season's soft floral hues

last swimming elephant

28 empoweRED A writer's journey back to her homeland 30 art Costantino Zicarelli's serendipitious detours

Editor in Chief Ria Prieto Art Director Ni単a Muallam Managing Editor Carmela Lape単a Copy Editor September Grace Mahino Editorial Assistant Meg Manzano External Relations Officer Sophie Villanueva

Contributing writers Denise Danielle Alcantara, Margaux Salcedo, Cai Subjiano Contributing photographers Johann Bona, Jody MacDonald, Artu Nepomuceno, Patrick Segovia Intern Angela Manuel Go

Board Chairperson Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez Group Publisher Bea Ledesma SVP and Group Sales Head, Inquirer Group of Companies Pepito Olarte Sales Director Ma. Katrina Mae Garcia-Dalusong Business and Distribution Manager Rina Lareza

ERRATUM: Inquirer Red failed to credit makeup artist Pong Niu of MAC Cosmetics and hairstylist Jay Aquino for Inquirer

RED September 2014's fashion editorial entitled "Keeping It Surreal." We regret this error.

EASY PERSUASION Versatility looks to be the new luxury W O R D S C ARM E L A L AP E Ñ A

Form meets function in the Halzan, Hermès’ latest design from their Fall/ Winter 2014 collection. Put together by skilled craftsmen, the Halzan is made with soft yet durable Clemence calfskin leather and Palladium hardware.

Lightweight and cleverly designed, the Halzan can be used in different ways, depending on the requirement, such as a large tote bag or a clutch. The straps can also be removed or adjusted for it to be worn as a shoulder bag or across the body.

Hermès pays homage to its equestrian heritage with the Halzan,

Hermès is located at Greenbelt 3

as its handles are inspired by stirrups.

Simple and subtle, with a front belt buckle detail, this piece comes in popular Hermès shades of black, blanc, bleu saphir, etoupe, etain, gold, rouge H, and rouge casaque. With no exterior branding, the Halzan carries an understated elegance, perfect for a variety of occasions. To exude Parisian flair, pair it with the Faubourg watch, 15.5mm gold face coupled with diamonds and a gold link bracelet reminiscent of the architecture of the brand’s Fauborg Saint-Honoré shop. •

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DESIGN OF THE TIMES Atalyer’s Leon Araneta on integrating history and heritage in design W O R D S M E G M AN Z AN O P HOTO G R AP HY AR T U N E P O M UC E N O

“I don’t have a fancy office or a kept gallery,” admits Leon Araneta, Atalyer’s chief integrating officer and design manager.

After having navigated the busy alleys and treacherous streets of Binondo, his little admission of truth almost triggered a heart attack among the production staff, as the premise of the shoot was to feature the designer’s workspace. A few flights of stairs

and about 12 minutes after, Araneta offers quick and glorious redemption: a glimpse into a historical gem hidden in Binondo’s labyrinth.

“The owner of this building approached several firms, and every single one of them offered to tear the whole thing down and build anew,” he says. “Our plan, of course, was to fix it up.”

“This is the seventh floor,” he continues, stepping out of the antiquated yet charming

(and fully functional) 1930s elevator. The concrete space, housing pieces of furniture and dust from several decades, resembles a gold mine, with Araneta poised to ease its transition from historical to functional. Eager to tell the building’s narrative, he starts, “It was built in 1939 by a very enterprising American military commander named Samuel Wilson.

So for some time, the building, known as

the S.J. Wilson, served as an office space.”

Later on, he reveals, the building would fall into Japanese hands during their Manila occupation. “You remember the Mickey Mouse money?” he asks as he signals to an abandoned furnace. “That is where the Japanese would print it!”

It’s a common misconception that buildings from before may be entirely brittle or perhaps unstable by now, explains Araneta.

“The interesting thing is, we actually didn’t have to take any precautionary measures dealing with this piece of architecture.” He pauses, “Sure, we had to install plumbing since there were spaces where we had to put bathroom fixtures in, but other than that, absolutely nothing.”

As we journey deeper into what seemed to be a rabbit hole, we encounter the eighth floor. Rubble generously scattered across the concrete floor, wide holes puncturing the walls, and surreal metal ceiling bars reminiscent of a Dali painting (“The bars you see are bent because there was a huge fire here a few years back”)—it does not at all come as a surprise why Araneta and the team decided to uproot their design firm’s HQ and move temporarily to Binondo’s busyness.

“We pride ourselves with the fact that we enjoy reusing and restoring existing elements and breathing new life into them,” says Araneta. Undeniably skilled at fusing together a profusion of history, efficiency, and functionality, he and the folks at Atalyer add an element of warmth to the old structure's aesthetic. By incorporating elements from the building’s past such as the canteen and restaurant spaces that have been decorated with wooden bars that bear the names of old companies—an illuminative homage to when the building served as base camp for Makati Stock Exchange, Araneta not only succeeds at telling the building’s narrative; he and his team artfully contribute to it •

Left and below: Leon Araneta's heritage building restoration project in Binondo: "The interiors were designed to have the appeal of a bank from the 1950s. Meticulous attention was given to the wooden moulding and finishing. Also, cubicles are laid out in an open plan with low partitions to facilitate communication and to share light."

Bottom: The ceiling's metal fixtures resemble a surrealist landscape, the metal bars exaggeratedly bent by a fire.

acquiRED

GREEN INSIDE OUT Changing the meaning of sustainability using Mother Nature’s scrap W O R D S D E N I S E D AN I E L L E AL C AN TARA

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As we grow older, we inevitably encounter an important lesson: money does not grow on trees. And the need to cut down trees to utilize their full potential—from paper and pencil to tables and chairs—is endless. With the world’s growing population, the demand for logging has increased exponentially.

Luckily, mankind continues to explore and discover ingenious ways to reduce logging needs. Pete Delantar, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Nature’s Legacy, invented a sustainable substitute called Naturecast.

Made of natural scrap materials such as fallen bark, dead shrubs, fallen twigs, and other agro-forest waste, the company reimagines otherwise useless scrap into design elements for contemporary furniture.

Apart from the main ingredients, certified as biodegradable, recyclable, and environment-friendly, the entire manufacturing operation is solid green.

Delantar aims to decrease the carbon footprint of his employees as well. “The business model is much deeper than it appears. Whether it’s manufacturing or socially-inclined practices, the employees benefit from them. It is a new way of addressing CSR,” he points out.

Together with his wife Cathy, he created a strategy of providing associates and staff with subsidized housing at a stone’s throw for the sole purpose of saving them time and money.

With their continuous efforts to promote sustainability not only through their products but also in their operations, the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC), a US-based, non-profit, balanced coalition of industry players created to promote sustainable

Eco-art furniture is made from natural scrap materials that go through an end-to-end sustainable procedure.

practices among manufacturers, retailers, and consumers, invited Delantar to be one of its founding members—making him the first and only Filipino to be given this opportunity.

The Cebu-based furniture company exports to 41 countries in Europe, America, and Asia. Visible in home furnishing stores like Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, and West Elm, Nature’s Legacy has even gotten Hollywood folks curious with their unique, fashionable, and environment-friendly products. One of their most iconic chairs, made of mango seeds, has also debuted in the celebrity lounge of the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008.

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VEGGIE SOURCE W O RD S A N G ELA MA N UEL G O I L L US T R AT I ON S A R C HI E C AYA MA N D A

Juju Eats BCS Building, 2297 Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati

The country's first dedicated salad joint, it's a simple reminder to give your body a break. The brainchild of Kat and David Azanza, Juju Eats offers a tasty and healthy way of detoxifying. Also available are their famous Juju Cleanse juices.

devouRED

NO-COOK KITCHEN The raw food lifestyle is guilt-free and full of flavor W O R DS M A R G AUX S AL C E D O

It started with an obsession with weight control.

Three years later, Mona Lisa Neuboeck has become not only an aficionado but an advocate of raw foodism.

“It’s not a diet but a holistic lifestyle,” she explains. By eating just raw food “you live just as nature designed you to.”

As a raw food vegan, Neuboeck does not eat any kind of meat or dairy, nor does she eat anything exposed to heat of over 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The philosophy is that anything cooked above this temperature loses their nutritional value, as it kills the natural enzymes of food.

While it’s hard to imagine life without fried chicken and pizza, Neuboeck says it’s a lot easier than you think. “Once you detoxify and get healthy by cleaning up your diet first, you will feel that burst of energy that comes naturally within you,” she shares.

Combining creativity and determination, Neuboeck has found a way to make raw veganism fun. She has even gone as far as making raw food pizza with sprouted-grain “dough”, sundried tomatoes, and cheese made from nuts. She has also made “spaghetti” zucchini, and a banana chocolate cream pie that has no milk, no butter, and no cream.

Her tip: don’t be too strict about it. “Five months of the year, I eat completely raw food; the rest of the year, I’ll have a little portion of my food cooked. My benchmark is that the main component of the food is raw,” confesses Neuboeck, who gives private classes on how to live the raw food lifestyle. “There are a lot of preparation techniques like soaking, dehydrating, marinating,” she explains. “But once you get the hang of it, it shouldn’t be too hard.” The only battle left would be resisting that tempting pack of chicharon!

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The Wholesome Table Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Bianca Araneta-Elizalde, of Aria Boracay fame, shows us that sometimes, plain and simple is the best way to go. Dishes and juices that use organic, natural, and freshly sourced ingredients do wonders for both your well-being and your taste buds.

Backyard Farms

Pick-up available in San Juan or Rockwell. For orders and further information, visit backyardfarms.ph

With the philosophy of enjoying what you eat without worrying about the harmful stuff, start-up organic farmer Tisha Ang-Dominguez and green lifestyle advocate Monica EleazarManzano offer organic and biodynamic rice and homemade pasta, pasture-raised chickens, and natural sweeteners like coconut sap sugar.

Knitted dress, Tan-Gan, Greenbelt 5

admiRED

RAW RADIANCE Bea Misa finds beauty in the essentials and contentment in the slow, simple life W O R DS CA R M E L A L AP E Ă‘A P HOTO G RAP HY JO HAN N B O N A O F AT E AS T JE D R O OT S HOT O N L O C AT I O N AT P I N TO AR T M US E UM

“You really have to go and kind of experience their life.”

“I totally stand by my romanticism,” says Bea Misa, one of the country’s pioneering ecoadvocates, who is adamant in her refusal to succumb to the digital age. “It’s liberating to stop skimming through information, images, and messages and be a little more focused, to have a bit more depth in your inquiry. I bring a book [with me everywhere]. When I’m not reading, I try to observe things. It’s kind of like ’90s living, which is really nice.” Misa, in fact, no longer uses her smart phone and brings her iPad around less and less. Instead of being glued to a screen, she pays attention to things such as the names of plants, or words like petrichor—the smell of rain on dry earth.

She mentions wanting to move to Dumaguete, as she doesn’t think the city is a good place to raise a family. It’s not difficult to imagine her there, a picturesque university town, the perfect environment for her preferred lifestyle, which sounds as idyllic as her childhood recollection of biking freely around the village she grew up in without having to worry about safety.

During the shoot, she apologizes for being awkward, but if anything, her awkwardness adds to her charm. Gentle and serene, it’s almost impossible to imagine her being stressed. Her conscious decision to live unhurried allows her to notice interesting yet often overlooked details. As a result, her Instagram account is a library of curiosities: seeds on a streetside cicad, a sari-sari store’s signage made from glitter styrofoam cutout letters on a bamboo arch, a Tagbanua top without a nail.

In truth, Misa’s unapologetic romanticism about all things bucolic stems from childhood.

“Maybe it’s from reading Heidi too many times,” she adds. Misa goes against the usual frantic pace of living in the city. Her days begin with yoga, coffee, and fruit, but the

routine ends after breakfast as some days, she’ll be walking through a coffee forest, and other times, she’ll be behind the counter at Ritual, the small, cozy shop she co-owns with her husband Rob Crisostomo.

Entering Ritual is a bit like traveling back to a simpler time, as well as around the country. There’s raw wild honey from Baslay, Malagos chocolate from Davao, kesong puti from Malasimbo, and handcrafted ales from Iligan. There are familiar things such as coffee beans, lavender hand soap, sea salt, sugar, and rice, but she prefers the more obscure items: exfoliating silk cocoons and fire starters made from pili resin. “I’m really biased toward the products I find interesting more than the ones that sell a lot. Those are the things I really like because they also imply a slower pace of life, where people have time to do things for themselves,” she shares.

“When I got off my smart phone, I felt like a parallel reality was being peeled from my life. It might sound like an exaggeration, but I felt [as if ] I woke up from a dream,” Misa continues, adding that her self-imposed lack of instant access to information has taught her to plan things, as well as given her space to think and be with other people.

Dealing with people is, after all, an important aspect of her business. A conversation with her is replete with interesting stories, from small farmers to the occasional irate customer.

At first, not everyone appreciated the store’s bring your own bag policy, which people are finally getting used to, thanks to the city’s plastic ban implemented in 2010. Apart from its environmental advocacy, Ritual also tries to bridge a gap in how organic products are marketed.

Part of the challenge is also getting the communities to realize what they have to offer as they tend to overlook minor things, such as making their own candles. “You

really have to go [where they are] and kind of experience their life. They don’t really know; they find what they do so ordinary,” Misa says.

What Ritual does, in a way, is reveal the lives of these communities to the customers.

The best part of having a store is traveling and discovering products, as Misa has a healthy interest in history and ethnobotany, which she explains as the way cultures interface with nature. “Sometimes, when I go to a place, I already know what to ask them about. Sometimes, you spend some time there and that’s when you find really interesting things,” she says.

As if the shop weren’t enough to keep her busy, she also does agricultural consultancy for coffee growers. “Everyone says Philippine coffee is so good, but there’s really a gap in processing.

That’s the space that inhibits my growth as a shop,” she explains. Running the business has made her realize that she should have paid more attention in school. “I was a management student and I barely went to class,” shares Misa, who wanted to do development studies or photography. Yet despite not having planned to run a shop, she seems to be a natural at it.

Perhaps this is also the reason for her success: Ritual has simply brought together all the things she truly cares about.

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Opposite page: White cord top, Eairth, eairth.ph; folded skirt, Twinkle Ferraren, twinkleferraren.com; 100 percent recycled metal cuff bracelets and necklace, all from Kevia, Itsie-Bitsie Boutique, Joya Lofts and Towers, Rockwell Center, Makati City CREATIVE DIRECTION NIÑA MUALLAM STYLING MEG MANZANO MAKEUP RIA AQUINO OF MAC COSMETICS HAIR JAY AQUINO PINTO GALLERY IS LOCATED AT 1 SIERRA MADRE STREET, GRAND HEIGHTS, ANTIPOLO CITY

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baRED

DOWN TO EARTH Get a healthy flush with these organic picks

PH OTOGR A PHY PAT R IC K SEG OV I A

B Y C AI S UB I JAN O

Opposite page:

For hair

O’right Green Tea Shampoo for normal hair, P1,695/400ml, PiandrÊ salons, piandre.com; Zenutrients Aloe Vera Moisturizing Conditioner, P260/200ml, ECHOstore, ecostore.ph and zenutrients.com.ph

For the skin

CBeauty Universal Beauty Oil No. 1: VCO with Chamomile, P395/100ml, seektheuniq.com; Camaru Naturals Bamboo Charcoal Clarifying Soap, P150/135g, ECHOstore; Kaolin and Rhassoul Moroccan Clay (P350/70g), Satinka Naturals,137 Kamagong Street corner Pasong Tamo, Makati

This page:

For beauty

Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation, $68/7.5g, RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, P38/5.67g, Ilia Beauty Lipstick, $26/4g, all available at spiritbeautylounge.com. For more information, visit kjaerweis.com, rmsbeauty.com, and iliabeauty.com

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SOFT AS AN AFTERGLOW Ephemeral beauty colors the season's delicate flourishes P H OTO GR A P HY JO HAN N B O N A O F AT E AS T JE D RO OT

S T Y L I N G R I A P RI E TO

This page: Soiree frost polish, MAC; serpent ring Tubogas pink gold and steel with round mounted setting, Bvlgari, Greenbelt 4 Opposite page: Bewitched polish, Laura Mercier; aquamarine with diamond ring, Yvel, Rustan's Makati

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This page: Two Fingered Salute polish, Butter; Cacholong Cabochon, Chalcedony Cabochon, and Aqua Chalcedony Cabochon, all from Tamara Comolli, Rustan's Makati; Scouse polish, Butter; Zen Ring with white South Sea pearl and 2.04 carat diamonds, Jewelmer Joaillerie Opposite page: Galuchat polish, T. LeClerc; green garnet ring, Roberto Coin, Rustan's Makati

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F LOWER S F R OM S PRUC E F LO R AL D ESI G N S, SPR UC EF LO R AL DE SI G N S .C O M . N AI L S B Y N AI L S P A AN D P UR A V I D A. M O D E L S JE SSI C A YA N G A N D P AT R I C I A HEN SO N

Atmosphere polish, Chanel; rose gold ring, Carla Amorim, Rustan's Makati

For 30 years now, the elephant Rajan has been living in peace with Nazroo, his loving Mahout (caretaker), in the Andaman Islands, India

exploRED

WILD WAVES Photographer Jody MacDonald’s rare encounter with the world’s last known swimming elephant W O R D S M E G M AN Z AN O

There’s a sense of otherworldliness that pervades the images photographer Jody MacDonald has taken of the Andaman Islands. For one, they curiously tell the rare tale of the world’s last swimming elephant, Rajan. Having sailed on a catamaran to the Andaman Islands from Burma, MacDonald was determined to explore the islands and track down the 63-year-old elephant in order to immortalize the giant through photos.

Originally brought to the Andaman Islands for logging in the ’70s, Rajan, along with a group of 10 elephants, was brutally forced to learn how to swim in the ocean in order to transport logs to nearby boats and islands. When logging was banned in 2002, the elephant was out of a job and as fate would have it, he then met his Mahout (caretaker) named Nazroo. “They spend most of their

After hearing the cruel methods used to train the elephants to swim, photographer Jody MacDonald was convinced Rajan's story was an epic tale to tell.

“Because elephants are so smart, their interactions with humans involve so much emotion and thought.”

days together,” intimates MacDonald, “They have this incredible connection you don’t only see but feel, and Rajan will not do anything unless Nazroo is by his side—it’s like watching a mother and child interact with each other.”

“Photographing the relationship between them was an amazing experience for me,” continues the lenswoman, “It’s incredible to witness the bond between such an intelligent animal and its caretaker. Because elephants are so smart, their interactions with humans involve so much emotion and thought.” At the end of the encounter, what further lent to the beauty of the image was the knowledge of the history of the graceful swimming elephant. After decades of forced manual labor, Rajan now has his own little sanctuary in the form of a friendship with Nazroo, and countless lazy days spent swimming for simple pleasure instead of labor.

Asked whether she adheres to a particular philosophy when it comes to her craft, MacDonald responds, “I try to have my photographs tell a story.”

Often shot in the most remote locations and seeing places from a different perspective, MacDonald’s images reveal a strange sense of place. “I want my viewer not only to connect with my photographs, but to see how amazing this planet is.”

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PHOTOS C OUR TE SY O F JODY MA C DON A LD

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art

SLOW BURN The artistic deliberations behind Costantino Zicarelli's next opus W O RD S C AR M E L A L AP E Ñ A P HOTO G RAP HY C B G B

Dressed in black from head to toe, Costantino Zicarelli appears strange in the neatly arranged living room, a large window with lacy curtains behind him. For now, his workspace is a garage, which, as photographer Charles Buenconsejo points out, looks more like a carpenter’s space than an artist’s.

Its current occupant is a large wooden window frame to be painted black, which Zicarelli says will be similar to a piece from his 2012 exhibit Empire Show. The earlier artwork was inspired by how cracks in jeepney windshields are often remedied with electrical tape, the resulting look resembling

a spiderweb. This time, he’ll use clear glass instead of a mirror, and silver leaf instead of electrical tape. “I don’t even know how to do it, actually. I’ll experiment first,” he says.

On the floor is a light sculpture, which the artist describes as an imaginary bar sign. These pieces may or may not be part of his upcoming

show at Silverlens Galleries, which Zicarelli has been preparing for since August of 2013.

Set to open in October, The Dust of Men will include a series of taxidermy drawings.

“It’s a series of goat and deer skulls. The idea [is] of sacrifice. Some collectors, they still find it cute. I don’t want it to be that dark.

I don’t want to be too extreme with my art.

“I was sort of obsessed with the culture of black metal,” continues the artist, who spent three months in Norway researching the topic. Zicarelli finds inspiration wherever he goes, particularly in the strange stories he stumbles upon, whether in an Oslo black metal shop called Nosebleed or in the badlymade signs of girlie bars in Cubao.

He speaks quickly, his gaze focused somewhere far. Every so often, he runs upstairs, bringing back samples, such as a black skull made of resin and charcoal from a piece inspired by the 27 Club; the installation was part of the 2012 Thirteen Artists Awards Exhibit. “With the process, I try not to cheat myself. I wanted the sculpture to look black, so I used charcoal to see the effect.”

He shares that while struggling to find his identity, he tried to experiment with color,

but it didn't feel right. “It’s still a process, but then I started doing these monochromatic pieces. I fell in love with it. It was like a very peaceful process; there wasn’t anything negative behind it.”

In high school, he would copy from comics. “I told my mom that I wanted to be a comic book artist. Then she told me, ‘Yes, okay. But why don’t you take advertising?’”

He took her advice, but his only advertising work was designing medicine boxes. “It was the most boring job ever. I was there just listening to music,” he says. Not long after, he decided to quit his job. Following his first solo show at Crucible in 2006, he has had several group and solo exhibitions both here and abroad.

Zicarelli can also be found playing bass for the shoegaze band Pastilan Dong! with Kaloy Olavides, Alvin Zafra, and Pow Martinez. “I’ll probably be the first to get kicked out,” he says; his bio describes him a self-proclaimed failed graffiti artist and musician. Should this happen, perhaps the failed attempt will find its resurrection in one of his works—in a monochromatic drawing, or a smooth, charcoal casting.

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Work in progress: “I wanted to start a year ahead because I didn’t want to rush things, but as you can see, I’m rushing things.” Zicarelli’s as of yet unfinished light sculpture will be part of his show at Silverlens this month.

desiRED

SUBTLE STAPLE

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In a crowd of established designers and iconic brands, a humble contender finds itself in the spotlight W O RD S AN G E L A M AN UE L G O

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Here comes the underdog that has taken its competitors by surprise, and has managed to win the hearts of bag enthusiasts around the world in the process. For a design label that is barely two years old, Mansur Gavriel has taken the handbag world by storm, one carefully crafted piece at a time. Boasting a pre-order and waiting list, the brand's bag selection is at par with rare, exotic, and embellished pieces from those of more

established labels, yet its aesthetic and overall image is the complete opposite.

Each bag that Mansur Gavriel produces comes from the finest Italian leather, meticulously made only by the most skilled craftsmen of the Veneto Region of Italy.

The pieces carefully preserve the vegetabletanned leather’s natural beauty, and the lack of excess hardware and frills leaves a design that is raw and flawless. The designs are

subtle, clean, and free of the intimidating character of most luxury goods, easy on the eyes for anyone to appreciate.

Mansur Gavriel bags come in timeless styles that are put together by precise and discreet stitching, with a pop of color inside that adds subtle charm. They're wardrobe staples that will surpass changing seasons and trends, available in designs simple enough to use every day without any thought. •

empoweRED

NOVEL EYES

Journalist and author Bambina Olivares on life, travel, and her craft

MAK EUP BY MYRE NE SA NTOS O F MAC C OSMET IC S

W O R D S M E G M AN Z AN O P HOTO G R AP HY AR T U N E P O M UC E N O

There’s a quiet charm about the well-travelled writer Bambina Olivares. After three decades of traversing several continents, countries, and cities, the author finds herself back in Manila, with her novel Making Love in Spanish, slated for release next February.

In an industry where one constantly has to meet both friends and deadlines, Olivares masterfully keeps afloat. “As a journalist, I’ve had access to some amazing people, artists, designers, writers, activists,” she muses. “Early in my career, I profiled Emilio Pucci, whom I met in 1991, at the height of Pucci’s brand

renaissance.” Beyond her authored craft and bylines, Olivares strikes one as a citizen of the world—one with a gift of articulating events, places, fashion, and people using the most floral swirls and sway of words.

What compelled you to become a writer?

Words have always been my currency. Writing has saved and sustained me all my life. I’ve done it all, I suppose, from advertising copy, corporate brochures, and press releases to poetry, essays, news reports, magazine articles, and investigative pieces, not to mention several

manuscripts and a soon-to-be-published novel. I didn’t choose writing as much as it chose me, however clichéd that sounds.

Plus, it’s allowed me to survive in many countries even without a work permit.

I’m not just drawn to writing as a professional or literary pursuit, but also as an artistic endeavor. The way letters are formed—the serifs, the stems, the flourishes—fascinates me so much that I used to teach calligraphy to schoolchildren when I lived in Jordan and Mauritius—I miss those days of ink-stained fingers!

AUTHOR'S ARSENAL Bambina's write path in images

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Of all the pieces you’ve authored, do you have any particularly memorable ones?

For WWD (Women’s Wear Daily), I once wrote, after exhaustive research and interviews, a report on the massive counterfeit Polo Ralph Lauren manufacturing industry in Mauritius. I was warned by my contacts that I was treading into controversial and dangerous territory, as this was a lucrative business that fed an entire ecosystem, but I persevered. The story marked a turning point for the industry: Ralph Lauren sued the Mauritian manufacturers and eventually, international intellectual property law was upheld when a judge ruled that after a grace period, existing counterfeit stock would have to be destroyed.

As a travel writer, what in your opinion is the importance of travel?

Wanderlust is an impossible affliction to shake off ! I’ve been extremely fortunate to be able to travel for work and for pleasure; I couldn’t imagine any other way of living! In the last decade, I’ve become a bolder, braver traveler, venturing to many places on my own: some destinations totally new to me, and others, familiar terrain now experienced completely differently, solo. In the end, it’s pointless to quantify how important travel is. But clearly, it informs and enriches who you are. For me, the incredibly talented artist and designer David Wiseman probably expresses it best through his magnificent cast bronze screens inlaid with porcelain, where motifs inspired by his travels all over the world organically fuse and flow into each other, and you sense, you just sense, that his life is much fuller for having wandered and walked through lands not his own.

What’s on your itinerary these days?

Deadlines! It’s become a bit more challenging now that I’ve moved back to Manila as I work in three different time zones. Then again, I seem to have always lived and worked (and sometimes loved) in disparate time zones, so this is really nothing new.

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"I love FMR. It's an art magazine published out of Florence."

Emilio Pucci

@bambina_o_: Christmas card 2013 outtake with @sam_the_wise_one @jess_wise27

"The A La Mexique line is a lighthearted, Latin-flavored spoof of designer names created by two New York-based friends of mine, Simon Guindi Cohen and Gabriel Rivera-Barraza."

Rafe Totengco's Bambina clutch

Current bedside companion: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

by Muriel Barbery

"I have a Hans Hartung lithograph that I was very lucky to acquire a couple of years ago."

Profiled Scott Schuman for WWD

London or Tuscany? With the Bruces for tea #nofilter

After a week of waking up to sirens, jackhammers, and skyscrapers, I woke up to this #nofilter #sanfrancisco Africa unplugged #africanskies #nofilter. A bit Hemingway-esque, this view