Moving site is like moving house, and as I sit and sift through years of blog entries & photo albums, I'm feeling a little nostalgic :) Thank you for sharing this journal with me and I hope to continue sharing my thoughts, inspirations & fashion experiences with you through my new blog, still titled "Behind The Seams", at tippiocampo.com :) Please feel free to share the link & spread the fashion love ;)

See you all at tippiocampo.com ♥

FASHION & ART
(published in Sense & Style, 2009)

One of the first fashion shows I ever participated in when I just started out designing was held in the Carrousel du Louvre for the Concours International des Jeunes Créateurs de Mode (or the Young Fashion Designers Competition) in Paris.  The Louvre, which houses some of the greatest artworks in history, often mounts fashion exhibits and retrospectives in its main galleries as well as holding regular fashion shows in its exhibition annex.  The thrill of seeing the first gown I designed modeled onstage there, combined with being surrounded by an overwhelming number of the world’s most significant works of art, gave me an indescribable buzz—one I wouldn’t easily forget and which would become a momentous turning point for me.   

The Art of Dressing

While most people associate fashion with glamour and luxury, I’ve always associated fashion with creativity and art.  Maybe that’s because it’s how I fell in love with fashion in the first place.  Growing up, I was drawn to fashion as a way of expression and I particularly loved the way artists dressed and ‘customized’ whatever they wore—paint-splattering their jeans, hand-dyeing and staining their shirts, mixing patterns the way they mixed paint, or wearing clothes in uncustomary ways (like turning a buttoned up long-sleeved man’s shirt into a front tied mini-skirt for example, or taking an indigenous woven head wrap and turning it into a wrapped top).  It was fresh, it was fun, and to me, it was fashion at its most original and inspiring.    These days as a fashion designer I continue to seek inspiration in art, and the creative process behind it, every time I design clothes. It’s fun to approach designing a piece the way one would approach a blank canvas—staying open to inspiration, interpretation and experimentation. The word ‘fashion’ to me has always been less of a noun and more of a verb anyway, which means “to mold or transform, to construct usually with the use of imagination and ingenuity”.  It is this ability to create and to affect change that attracted me to art and fashion in the first place.  When I was still an art student in university, I always appreciated the classical period and the beauty and timelessness of its works, but it was the transitional moments in history, the art movements that questioned, provoked and sparked a new era that interested me the most.   

Playing with Mixed Media

I found myself particularly drawn to the Pop Art Movement, and the youthful, energetic and irreverent way in which artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein mixed popular culture with ‘high’ art, finding their muses in everyday, mundane objects like soup cans or soap boxes and comic strips.  Using these objects as take-off points for their creations, these artists in turn elevated, questioned, celebrated and mocked the very things they were immortalizing. Pop Art’s fusion of techniques liked to combine highbrow with mass-commercialism, bringing common silk-screening and printing techniques into the realm of fine art, and introducing the erstwhile exclusive world of art into mainstream popular culture.   There was another reason I enjoyed Pop Art so much—it was a reflection and a celebration of the era I grew up in, a time when fashion and MTV were first coming together and multi-media was turning into the newest art form.   This time around, music, art and fashion were clashing wildly in a heady mix, and youth culture was at its spirited core.  Graffiti was finding its way into acceptance as art at the same time that haute couture was flirting with the underground culture.  Iconic Chanel jackets were being mismatched with ripped Levi’s jeans on the fashion capital’s streets, Lacroix’s elaborate ballgown skirts were worn with Hanes tank tops and motorcycle boots in Vogue, and Gaultier’s S&M couture was rocking onstage with Madonna.  In the hallways of my college, students wore their art—graffiti strewn shirts, arts & crafts skirts—and I often went to class in jeans oil-painted and collaged by myself and thrown together with a t-shirt and sparkly ballet flats.  To this day I constantly draw inspiration from this juxtaposition of opposites and mixed perspectives when it comes to my fashion designs, as I love marrying classical with modern, infusing the local with the global, and putting together high-end fashion with street wear.   

Models and Muses of Inspiration

Taking from one’s surroundings and experiences, instead of blindly following trends, is another aspect of the process of making art that I have absorbed into my fashion design work.   When coming up with a new collection, it’s important for me to be aware of what’s current, but at the same time I always infuse a personal point of view along with a local perspective into the clothes I create.  It’s a way of sharing what I’m passionate about, what I see and experience with the people who ultimately become my clients. There is nothing quite as exciting as having an idea expressed through a garment, then having someone put it on, bring it to life, and be beautifully transformed by it.  It is the allure of fashion not to be a cold, distant object appreciated from behind glass, but to be an object of desire, lovingly worn and made a part of life.    In much of art’s history, art has been used as a tool to express oneself to others and to reflect the times and circumstances in which the artist lived.  Fashion serves much of that purpose today, allowing people to express themselves through what they wear, and the choice to either follow or challenge the existing status quo, even if that status quo revolves more around status symbols these days.  Beyond the ever-expanding empire of luxury brands and consumer goods, the creative side of fashion still searches for its mythical muses and seeks to be stimulated and uplifted, to be inspired as well as to inspire.  For fashion to be moved by art, and on occasion to take elements from it, is a natural extension of the creative aspect of design.  In my first published book Not By the Book:  Fashioning Design, I wrote “Art and Life are locked in mutual admiration.  Because Art will always imitate Life, and Life will always imitate Art” since both are expressions of the creative process that is constantly at work all around us.   

Fashioning Design

With art, as with fashion, change and creation is constant and unceasing.  And while one may hang on a museum wall, and the other in an antique armoire, both ultimately take us along the journey from the first spark of inspiration to the final flourishes of creation.  One of my favorite things about fashion taking its cues from art then, is the way in which it offers a progressive extension of the creative process, from muse, to artist, to designer, to muse...and back again.  If art famously exists merely to exist, then to me fashion is its bridge, serving both a cerebral and practical purpose, at once bringing together the esoteric and the commonplace, the ethereal and the tangible...as well as adding a healthy dose of fun, flash and frivolity.  Now what could possibly make a more fabulously eclectic combination than that?

Smart is the New Sexy          
When it comes to interpreting what’s sexy, we’re finally wisening up.  

Sex.  It’s the supercharged word that’s all around us, confronting us at every turn from our advertisements, to our fashion, to our music, to our movies. As the oft-repeated phrase goes “Sex sells”.  But what is sexy, really?  Is it skin-baring ensembles that leave little to the imagination?  Is it surgically enhanced bodies sculpted to perfection?  Is it putting on killer heels and a dominatrix sneer? Sexy is more than all of that, I think.  I find that the sexiest people combine an awareness of how they look with an awareness of how they think and feel.  Their self-assurance and sex appeal are born of knowingness beyond what looks good on them.  In other words, truly sexy people don’t just dress smart—they ARE smart.  

Sharpen Up
‘Porn-chic’, ‘Ghetto’, ‘Glamazon’…been there, done that.  Now is the time to stand tall and look pulled-together again.  Elegant dresses, smart suits and prim (but not necessarily always proper) little ensembles are the perfect way to look sexy but polished.  To keep things fresh, I like updating tailored pieces with unexpected patterns or tempting hints of color.  

Intelligent Design
Design, whether in fashion or other fields, is more than just a superficial add-on.  Good design brings together functionality with desirability, like the sensuous curve of a modern building, the sinewy lines of a luxury sports car or the seductive arch of a couture dress.  Pay attention to the line, silhouette and proportion of your clothes—you don’t have to bare your curves to show them off.  Know when less is more, and when less is just…less.  

Attention to Detail
A hint of perfume, a glimpse of skin, a touch of satin…understanding subtle cues and paying attention to them is sexy.  Many of the world’s oldest cultures have elevated seduction and sexiness into an art form (flashing your breasts in exchange for beads in a Mardi Gras parade is not one of them!).  Fashion is a form of visual communication—fashion code, so to speak—so when dressing up, think of what you’re really saying.  

Sexiest Body Part
Work out the muscles of your mind.  Facebook is fun, but it shouldn’t be the only book you read!  Looking smart is not just about wearing designer specs and adopting the latest geek-chic ensemble.  Update your arsenal of information as often as you update your fashion. Your brain is actually your sexiest body part, so flaunt it!


(Photos by Ito Ocampo- Tippi Ocampo collection/ scene on the streets of Tokyo)

(Published in "The Tippi Point, Metro magazine, December 2010)

All That Glitters
It’s the season for the shimmer of gold, the shine of silver, and the twinkle of fairy lights. 

By Tippi Ocampo

Fashion may have its regular seasons, but there is probably no glitzier or more glamorous season worldwide than Christmas. In Manila, where our Christmas season runs for a quarter of the year, we don’t have autumn/winter collections, we celebrate our good tidings (and sunny Christmases) with ‘Holiday collections’.  It doesn’t matter what your religious affiliation may be, Christmas has established itself (for better or for worse) as an extravaganza unlike any other. After all, it’s the time of year when store windows beat the fashion catwalks in putting on extravagant, larger-than-life, fantastical displays—the time of year when not just people, but entire cities dress up and wrap themselves in all things glittery and sparkly.  

Precious Metals
Metallic hues are perfect for the holidays, especially in more muted, burnished shades that won’t make you look like you covered yourself in tinsel foil. I love how even just a touch of gold, silver, bronze or pewter adds edge to even the most basic outfits.  Whether as an accent piece or as a full ensemble, the sheen of precious metal is as appropriate now as it was many years ago when given as a king’s gift to a baby in a manger.  

Crystal Clear
Whether it’s to add a festive twinkle to a holiday dress, or to add a festive tinkle to a dinner setting, nothing says ‘special occasion’ quite like crystal.  Sprinkled minimally on a simple top, heavily embellished on a cocktail dress, or worn simply as shoulder-dusting earrings, the sparkle of crystal always makes for an eye-catching statement.  

White Nights
We may not celebrate White Christmases in Manila, but the holiday season is a great time to wear white.  Mixed with touches of metallic, or worn sheer and layered one over the other, white can look ethereal or dramatic, innocent or edgy.  It’s also a great way to stand out amidst the darker tones and jewel hues that are prevalent over the holidays.  

Heart of Gold
Amidst all the revelry and celebration, shopping and gift giving, the best way to truly shine this season is to give thanks for all your blessings, and to spread the love with those around you.  Share with those less fortunate than you, and bless those more fortunate than you.  Don’t be a scrooge with your good intentions.  Wear your heart on your sleeve, and don’t forget to put on a smile—you’re never fully dressed without it!

(Published in "The Tippi Point", Metro magazine, November 2010)

Street Smart
Take your high fashion inspiration from the beat on the streets             

By Tippi Ocampo

There are the catwalks…and then there are the sidewalks. Style-savvy people have always sought inspiration in unusual places and a city’s avenues and side streets are some of the best places to source for innovative fashion ideas.  From The Material Girl to The Sartorialist, the streets have always provided people with some of the most fashion forward takes on style.  So whether it’s people watching in another country, or scouring the sidewalk bazaars that have sprouted all over Manila, taking your fashion cues from real life puts an unexpected twist to the oftentimes glitzy, glamorous face of fashion.  

Gritty & glitzy
Adding a little funk to the fabulous keeps fashion from being too precious.  This is why most luxury fashion houses add flavor to their collections with trends picked up from the street.  Whether it’s mixing denim with your couture, adding a little grunge to the rustle of silk taffeta, or shredding a perfectly tailored suit, adding a touch of “street” to refined pieces gives it more edge.  

Beauty of a bargain
There’s nothing like the thrill of digging through bazaar bins and finding a beautiful piece for next to nothing!  Even kitschy pieces can have a beauty all their own when worn with the right attitude.  Knowing how to mix and match your designer pieces with bargain items, like piling plastic brooches on a custom-designed taffeta trench, or wearing sidewalk-bought hammered-tin earrings with an embroidered silk dress, creates a fashion look that’s distinctive and fresh.  

Strut your stuff
Individual style is less a product of following trends and more a result of marching to the beat of your own fashion drum.  Street style has a way of grounding fashion’s fantasies into reality and making it more credible and better suited to its surroundings.  Some of the most imaginative style pairings have come from form meeting function on the style arena of bustling city streets.  

From the pedestal to the pedestrian
Inspiration is everywhere, if you just take the time to look around.  Exotic and glamorous locales notwithstanding, most street corners in Manila offer a boundless source of ideas.  From the riot of colors to the mix of textures, the collage of shapes to the play of lights, visual stimuli are in abundance and even the lowly “trapo” or jeepney can be interesting jump-off points for creating some unique fashion pieces.


*Metallic & colored ribbon Jeepney dress from "Not by the Book" exhibit

(Published in "The Tippi Point", Metro magazine, October 2010)

For the love of vintage  
Bucking the trend of a disposable society  

By Tippi Ocampo

Fashion has always been a force that pushes forward, seeking out the next big thing, looking for the next hot trend.  But at a time when consumerism has seemingly spiraled out of control, and where high fashion and ‘luxury’ brands are churning out goods at mass-produced rates, the things that inspire me the most are those that are likely to have been around for some time, and will continue to be stylish for years to come.  

Sense of History
It’s not that I only like old things, because I am as thrilled and excited by all things shiny and new as the next person.  But I do like things—old or new—with a story behind them.  And vintage pieces, by their very nature, always come with a sense of history whether real or imagined.  I think it’s the idea of pieces designed to last more than a season and created for a reason other than to make a fast buck that captures my imagination.   

Timeless Quality
The level of quality and attention to detail of older pieces is something not often found even in newer ‘luxury’ items that have been compromised for the sake of better business returns.  Trends are usually designed to be exciting but fleeting.  However, when quality and attention to detail are given to a design, even something trendy can transcend it’s seasonality and become a modern classic.  

Unexpected Contrast
Throwing together vintage and contemporary pieces also makes for a more interesting look because of the contrast created—the look is less expected than wearing head-to-toe fashion from the same season.  Many designers (myself included) love to draw inspiration from past decades when creating modern designs because it fashions a bridge between our past and our future, evoking both a feeling of familiarity and sense of excitement at the same time.  

Uniqueness
In an age of mass-consumerism and global branding, finding something unique can be quite a challenge.  Vintage pieces remind us of a time when fashion was more customized and personalized, when individual quirkiness and idiosyncrasies were prized, and when not everything had to be produced on a global scale—much like where fashion is headed again today.  In the end, fashion’s next wave of the future may just be a nod to our past.


(Photo credit:  Ito Ocampo)

(Published in "The Tippi Point"  Metro magazine, September 2010)


Coming Up Roses  
Mixing and matching different ideas and design inspirations with a healthy dose of femininity    

By Tippi Ocampo

I’ve recently found myself fascinated with the concept of femininity and how it translates to design in modern times.  So much of everything we see around us now is an amalgamation of different ideas and aspects of what’s feminine, from our beauty ideals to our fashion trends.  This season a woman’s strength comes from showing her softer side, and as I love mixing design inspirations, I noticed that it’s the contrast of feminine and masculine elements together that I personally like more than ambiguous androgyny.  

More Color
Color is a design element that is very important to me, and I love the impact that the right use of color or the combinations of colors, has on even the simplest design.  I don’t really go for a lot of brash, in-your-face colors but I do love rich, saturated hues and jewel tones that I sometimes mix together.  I also like the surprise of contrasting a soft, feminine color with a strong, masculine shape, and vice-versa.  

Touches of Nature
Nature has long been one of my favorite sources of inspiration, and flowers and vegetables (strangely enough) fascinate me with their variety of shapes, colors, textures, and even smells.   I think ‘modern’ design is often thought of to be hard-edged and sci-fi futuristic, but I am drawn to modern design that is more organic, where shapes and textures mimic what’s familiar to us but distilled or exaggerated almost to abstraction.  

Attention to Details
Details are where God is said to reside, and who are we to argue?  More than theatrical impact, I’ve always been fascinated with a garment’s details, those often over-looked minutiae of fashion that spell all the difference.  So when designing a piece, I don’t only imagine how it will look, I often think of how it will feel.  And I love subtle elements of surprise like the peek of a frothy petticoat from under a dark skirt.  

Balancing Act
Balance and proportion are what give any outfit—no matter how avant garde or deconstructed —a sense of elegance.  It’s knowing all the fashion rules, and how to break them the right way.  It’s choosing the right mix of elements that make a statement while making the wearer look good.  And most importantly it’s understanding how to walk that fine line between prim and trashy, boring and over-the-top, restrained and ridiculous.  Femininity is finding that balance, and doing it with aplomb.


*Illustration from "Not By the Book: Fashioning Design" available in Powerbooks & National Bookstore outlets

Domesticity...it's the one city I'm left to discover without the help of a guidebook.  After years of thirsting for experiences of all kinds, I've recently found myself fascinated with all things domestic and home bound.  The wanderlust has in part turned to home-lust, and setting down roots does not seem as restrictive as it once did.

Suddenly the most ordinary things seem incredibly interesting, and I find myself looking forward to hitting the grocery aisles as much as exploring new curio shops or design stores.  A whole new world has opened up in the simple chores of cleaning out the spare rooms in our home or clearing out the garden, and discovering a new bakery or fruit stall in our village elicits an unexpected thrill in me.

I've realized that it's finding the balance between putting ourselves 'out there' in our public lives & exploring the outside world, and coming home to our private selves & uncovering the inner sanctuaries  that I'm focusing on this year.  Giving too much attention to one or the other, even if it's something enjoyable, feels lopsided and ungrounded.  I think I've finally found my way home.

*Image from Google images/zazzle.co.uk

(Image from Google Images)

Forty is the new forty, I think.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I've heard it described as being every other number other than what it is, which is a shame since 40 is really quite a milestone of a number.  In a little over a month I'll be saying "adieu" to my 30's and stepping up to a whole new decade--maybe I'm in denial about the whole thing, but I am feeling pretty excited about it! 

Looking back, I remember leaving my teens and entering my 20's as a fun and exciting time, but pretty much what I had planned out and expected.  But when I left my 20's and entered my 30's, I left behind a whole chapter of my life and started on something completely new.  At the time I went on sabbatical I could never have dreamed up the kind of changes I would experience or the paths I would take over the last ten years.  To say it's been a fun ride would be an understatement, and I can honestly say that it was even more exhilarating emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually going through my 30's than it was my 20's. 

Now that I have a whole new decade to look forward to, I'm thrilled by the possibilities once again.  We never really know what's around the corner for us until we open ourselves up and embrace turning that corner in the first place :)

I love space--I think it is the ultimate luxury along with time (though many may argue that they are one and the same).  I find that dressing one's space, whether it be our homes or our personal offices, takes the same style-savvy and attention to detail as dressing oneself.  And so I'm excited to get my hands on this issue of Space (Beyond Luxury) that features fashion and interiors, and that included some photos of my drawing room :)  And I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the dress-as-headboard on the cover! (I think that was from Maison Moschino, if I'm not mistaken.  So witty!).


*Please check out this lovely issue and grab a copy from Fully-Booked stores! 

It's been quite a while since I last blogged because we've had quite a bit on our plates and it's been a busy time, but with the past few months moving by so quickly I suddenly realized that it's already the end of July!

Anyway, I can't believe it's only been a year since we moved into the drawing room at The Fort.  So much has happened since then, it feels like it's been years!  I guess the drawing room DID do a good job of 'drawing in' the good vibes, positive work experiences and getting the creative juices flowing.  It's important to be thankful for the minutest things, and I have 525,600 of them to be grateful for :)

It's February, and everyone is in a tizzy over Valentine's Day, making fanciful dinner reservations & gift preparations and whatnot.  But in spite of all the usual fussing, this year seems different.  Unlike past years, there seems to be a much stronger yearning for things that are less about flash 'n cash and about things that are more meaningful, more substantial, more relevant, and more...dare I say it?...heartfelt.

I guess it's the upside of having things stripped away in recent years, realizing what the true nature of things are.  That it's not about the hype or the marketing, but about the essence, that indefinable quality that speaks directly to our core.  I mean I've always found that to me it's the same with things as with people--if I have to spend any amount of time with it, it may as well be something that I absolutely love!

This month I'm doing away with a lot of unnecessary trappings and making room for the people, places and things that I'd happily lose myself in and give myself to.  Life's way too short to keep at arm's length--sometimes we need to just clear ourselves to be able to jump into the heart of what we really want.





*Illustration from Google Images (www.brighamandwomens.org)

It's 23 days into a whole new year and it's only now that I've found the time to sit and blog again.  Working and networking (social and otherwise) really takes up a lot of time!!!  And unlike most bloggers who report in blurbs on their day-to-day activities, my writing mostly takes the form of drawn-out online journal entries, a space for the mingling of thoughts and observations... in other words, a space for that rare and precious commodity we now quaintly call "quiet time".

I can't function well without some "quiet time", grounding myself on that little plateau that allows me to just sit and observe and take in what's happening all around me.  But it's just too easy to get caught up in the chaos and craziness happening around, both good and bad.  Tragedies of all magnitudes abound shaking us up considerably, at the same time that doing a million things, meeting myriads of people and going to a multitude of places leaves our head spinning.  Balancing off all the experiences and activities with some time doing absolutely nothing is the best way I've found to get things back into perspective.

So one thing I've learned this early on in 2010 is the importance of getting rooted even as we continue to grow and branch out!


PS- This (bronze?) tree sculpture is one of my favorite public art pieces :) I love how it's poetic and common at the same time, and it always seems to invite people to interact with it.  I really enjoy the sculptures found scattered around The Fort...here's hoping for more art pieces around the city that everyone can enjoy in 2010!

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/227363/the-better-half-the-delinquent-model-student

The Better Half: The Delinquent & the Model Student

Their love story was something straight out of a teenage romantic movie. Ito Ocampo was San Agustin College’s resident delinquent student whose naughty antics were the bane of Tippi Lacson’s role as class monitor.

The class bad boy and model student were ironically seatmates in high school, and while any romantic involvement was the least of their thoughts then, the two definitely noticed each other. In fact, Tippi made it a point to religiously record Ito’s tardiness and absences (which were aplenty).

“We were in totally different groups, but I thought she was cute,” remembers Ito. Tippi adds, “I thought he was cute too, but he’s so different from me. Instead of going to class, he’d go playing billiards. All the trouble in class, more often than not, was caused by him.”

After high school, Ito went to UST, while Tippi studied at UP. They weren’t really close friends, but Ito and Tippi shared something which helped them get close: common friends. “Because we were classmates in high school, we had common friends so we’d all hang out together,” explains Ito.

Through their common friends, Ito and Tippi became close friends themselves. “We became each other’s confidantes,” shares Tippi. “If he’s going to see this girl, he’d tell me all about her. If I had problems with my boyfriend, I’d go to him for advice.”

Without realizing it, Ito and Tippi began developing feelings for each other. When Ito began hinting that he was interested in a certain someone, Tippi became incredibly curious. “She’d fish around a lot!” says Ito. When he finally mustered the courage to confess his feelings, Ito wrote Tippi a poem.

“He named this girl he likes Miss X,” shares Tippi. “And his poem goes, ‘Miss X is known by few; you’d turn in your grave if you knew. By now you’re wondering who, I want you to know Miss X is you.’” Tippi was naturally overwhelmed, but she reeled in her feelings and her reaction was a simple, “Ah, okay.”

“It’s awkward because we’re friends and it’s not out and out ligaw,” she confesses. “With us, I’m not sure. Maybe he’s not serious or maybe he’s just fooling around.”

But Ito was serious. “The transition from being friends to boyfriend and girlfriend scared her,” he says. That is why he didn’t pressure Tippi into jumping into a new relationship, and courted her patiently until she said yes.

“I was nervous,” Tippi admits. “We were friends, and I wasn’t sure whether to pursue it or not. I was so worried if things wouldn’t work out between us, then the friendship might get ruined.”

But her fear was later proven unfounded as they made their relationship work far better than they did their friendship. Ito and Tippi might be complete opposites, but because they knew each other so well, they learned to adjust to each other. “We knew each other prior to our relationship, so she already knew all my kalokohan,” Ito shares.

“We are completely accepting of each other,” adds Tippi. “He would let me try things he likes, and I would let him try things I like.”

Ito is maalaga as a boyfriend, and his being sweet eventually rubbed off on Tippi. Valentines’ are especially memorable for the couple.  “I find it ridiculous that every Valentines’ day, all the restaurants would have this set package menu that’s so expensive, and the only thing that’s different about it is that it comes with a rose,” complains Ito.

So he would think of more creative ways to declare his love. Tippi recalls, “On my way to school and coming out of the village, I came across this huge streamer that he put up in the service road, and written across it was ‘Happy Valentines’ Day, Tippi!’ When I got to UP, there was another streamer which he put up in our college. Even months after that, people would still remember the streamer he put up. That’s Ito. He’s always out to do something different.”

But despite Ito’s penchant for unique ways of surprising Tippi, his proposal was simple and sweet. He proposed to her during dinner at Manila Hotel, and they got married in 1997. The couple both had steady jobs at the time, and they have long decided on getting married in Italy.

“We want to remember everything about our wedding,” says Ito. So they brought their immediate families to Italy with them to witness their marriage.

The couple has been married for 12 years and they keep things fun by having “little adventures.” The couple tries to be creative with their dates. Instead of just going out and having dinner and go drinking afterwards, they’d go on a road trip and visit someplace new.

“One of the things Ito taught me is that we should always prioritize our marriage over everything,” says Tippi. This is why, despite their jobs, they always find time for each other.

Tippi is a fashion designer who is known for her trademark hook-and-eye closure. Her first foray into the industry started when she was still in college. “There was a time in college when they had a fair and she sold her own creations, which were one-of-a-kind tank tops, and she called these Tip Tops,” remembers Ito. “Her tank tops were sold out and girls were still ordering from her even after the fair.”

But Tippi wasn’t serious about it until she joined the Young Designers Paris Competition and won. From there, she and her husband opened Prêt-a-Party and launched a book on fashion design entitled “Not By the Book.”

“It’s fun, but there’s also a level of stress involved,” relates Tippi. “Because the better you do, the more you have to outdo yourself.”

Ito, on the other hand, is more of an entrepreneur. Together, the couple creates the perfect partnership: Tippi designs the clothes, while Ito manages the business side of Prêt-a-Party.

“We get along,” says Ito. “Plus, we’re good friends. We disagree on certain things, but when it comes to the things that matter, we try to talk about them and solve the problem.” Another thing that’s unique about the couple is that they don’t conform to the standard.

“We don’t have a template like at this certain age, we have to have kids,” Tippi explains. It’s amusing to think that the couple entitled their book on fashion design “Not By the Book”, for their relationship mirrors the title so well. Ito and Tippi do things “Not By the Book,” and eventually they have more fun with their marriage because they treat it as an adventure.

On their Differences

He said: We’re really opposites. She’s organized and neat. I’m messy. She designs and creates the clothes, while I handle the retail side of Prêt-a-Party.

She said: We’re opposites in most ways. His family is into the crazy-gimik scene. They’re the type who would go up to Baguio at 2 a.m. just because they feel like going. My family is different. We’re maayos. We’re the type that sleeps at 11 p.m. and we like everything in its place. I’m super daldal, and he’s quiet. But personality-wise, he’s more extroverted than I am.

On Travelling

He said: Even up to now, when we have free time, we’d go travel. We don’t plan things. Most of the time kasi, you’ll never find time to do it. You’ll always have work, and something will always come up to keep you from taking a vacation. When we feel like it, bahala na. So if it’s time to go, then it’s time to go.

She said: We travel a lot, but one of our most memorable travels was the time we went to this island in Cebu. It was the first time that we went out of Manila together. I’m also from Cebu, and I got to show him where I spent the first few years of my life and where I spent my summers. I got to show him a side of me outside of San Agustin.

On Marriage

He said: Our marriage was disorganized. There was one time we both came home and found out we had no electricity because we both forgot to pay the bill. And I think it’s our being disorganized which makes our marriage work in its own weird way.

She said: When we first got married, it felt like we were just camping. We had gotten so used to doing things non-traditionally, so for example, when we’d run out of groceries, we’d simply decide to go out of town for the weekend after work. Our marriage was disorganized but it was a lot of fun.

(Image from Google Images-Adam Baron photo http://www.adambaronphoto.com/)

It's been a while since I last blogged, and I must confess that Ito and I have been caught in a whirlwind of things-to-do, swirling about in domestic duties and household chores, moving out and fixing up the drawing room, fittings and meetings and what-have-yous for clients and shoots and upcoming shows...it's been a busy, busy, busy July!  Whew!!!

Today is Sunday, and I'm taking a break, just relaxing and giving thanks for the multitude of blessings that are all around us.  In the midst of all the wonderful things happening I've realized that it's still the simplest and most basic of things that I'm most thankful for, because without things like good health, peace of mind, and the love and support of people around us, everything else is useless and can't be enjoyed anyway.  I had the chance recently of having some long talks with my friends and fellow designers, and behind all the flash and the fame are people dealing with real problems just like everybody else, although it doesn't show because they deal with it with humor and style.  It made me realize that the way people deal with their problems (love, health, finances) have a huge effect on how those problems are resolved in the end--but it also reminded me of how much I already have that I often take for granted.

Well, today I'm stepping back and enjoying this pause, this little oasis of quiet, of just being in the moment and being truly thankful for everything and everyone around me...

Ah, the comforts of home--there is nothing quite like it.  And when it comes to recharging oneself in order to face the world, nothing beats having a haven to retreat to and relax in.  After leaving the corporate world and stepping out of Makati, Ito and I have worked from home over the last 10 years which made our workdays very pleasant and a lot less stressful.

But as in all things growth and change are inevitable, and instead of fighting it, it makes much more sense to embrace it.  Short of completely opening our home to visitors and customers and giving up our privacy completely, there was no other way to continue growing but to move our work back out.  In our minds we loved the feeling of welcoming people to our place, and wanted a space that was centrally located and easily accessible to people, but that wasn't boxed in and still felt relaxed and open.

And so we began our search.  Strangely though, once we made our decision, things started to fall into place pretty quickly.  While we'd been looking around at different spaces for some time now, we'd never really found one that 'grabbed' us.  In The Fort one afternoon, we decided to stop by for some coffee in the Starbucks on the corner of McKinley road and found the place to have such a good vibe, easily found in the corner of a busy intersection, but somewhat set back in a little oasis all its own.  We decided to step inside to ask if they still had units available...and before you know it we had found our space.  Just three weeks after having our serendipitous cups of coffee, we found ourselves holding the key to our new place!

So now we find ourselves at literal crossroads again--in Fairways Tower, at the corner of 5th Avenue and McKinley--and are getting ready to take the next steps forward (and upward to the 21st floor!).  We're moving in, fixing up, and hoping this will be a creative space, a relaxed workspace, a fun meeting place, all rolled into one...

In this month's issue of Sense & Style magazine, topics range from fashion in recession, to wellness, to ways in which to live life simply but stylishly.  Arnel Patawaran, the low-key but always funny and witty man at the helm of Sense & Style, invited me to be their profiled designer for June.  I always enjoy working with Arnel (even though this time around I didn't get to actually see him), and he was the first person who managed to convince Ito to pose with me in front of a camera (Feb. '07 issue of Sense & Style).  In the interview with Nicole Limos, we discussed style, inspirations, and the way in which fashion can redefine us.

To read the interview, and the rest of the very interesting articles, please pick up a copy of the June issue of Sense & Style (with a beautiful Heart Evangelista on the cover) which is now available in all leading bookstores and magazine stands.  And while you're at it, please pick up a copy of "Not By the Book: Fashioning Design" by Tippi Ocampo as well! :) Available in all Powerbooks outlets, select National Bookstores branches, all Best Sellers bookstores, L-Manila boutique Greenbelt 5, and Backstage Boutique Serendra.  Or email order@notbythebook.net and receive the book via 2GO!

Move over swine flue, there is a malady plaguing our society today, a single-stem strain that grips and rips through young and old alike leaving many feverish in its wake, eyes glazed over, mouthing gibberish in their disoriented, slightly-demented state.  This modern-day malaise, festered, boiled and bubbled-over from gossip blogs and tsismis talk shows, has mutated, full-blown, into an epidemic of super-ego proportions fed by the IV-drip of daily reality TV shows and 24/7, exhibitionist-inducing internet home videos.  Fifteen minutes of fame, now reduced to fifteen seconds of infamy, has become this millennium’s bubonic plague.

We see its effects everywhere, deep red pock-marks on society’s better judgments, distorting people’s fevered-vision so they see themselves in a magnificent, glittering version of Hollywood when in reality they stand in a haze-filled, multi-mirrored fun-house where they see the adoring looks of thousands, all merely reflections of themselves basking lovingly in their own gaze.  We see people, beautiful, talented people succumb to its all-consuming fever and do whatever it takes, whatever the cost, to keep floating in its light-headed stupor.  We see ordinary, otherwise sane and practical people, frothing at the mouth with a deranged kind of desperation, pretending they don’t want what they can’t have, yet longing for it all the same and hating themselves for it.

What is it with the flash of fame?  It is neither synonymous with success, talent, wealth, intelligence, beauty, kindness or any of the finer things we humans supposedly aspire to, and especially in this millennium, it has become an aspiration unto itself with no intrinsic value whatsoever, a vessel with no cargo, a mirage of a destination. Even in our poverty-stricken, third-world country people hunger for a taste of fame even more than the taste of food.  So much that they would give up the taste of fish and rice for a whole month just to try this frothy, airy confection for a day.  Rather than an honest day’s work, people would rather sit it out in the scorching heat for days on end to appear for a few seconds on a noontime variety show where they get the chance to meet some star, win some beer-money and greet all their friends and relatives from the other side of the TV-screen.

Is there a cure? Perhaps a heaping dose of reality should do the trick.

I have only recently realized that my favorite 'ingredient' is green tea.  But not to drink!

A few years ago, when I was looking for a nice, fresh scent to wear everyday,  I happened upon L'Occitane's Green Tea with Mint eau de toilette, and I've loved it ever since.  It's one of my absolute favorites, and smells so good without being overpowering, and always smells fresh even on hot and sweaty days.

Then last year, I bought a variety of Body Shop's home fragrances to try for my office at home.  While the other scents smelled good, over time they either seemed too heavy or too sweet for my taste (or smelled too much like a spa) and the scent that I ended up buying again and again was their Green Tea fragrance.  (I think I like it because it smells light and fresh without clashing with my clients' different perfumes!)

Most recently, I received a gift pack of Dove products and have been trying the whole lot since I got it a few months ago, and my skin is absolutely loving it.  Most especially the facial wash with green tea and cucumber--my face is incredibly clean after I wash it (with unclogged pores!) and not dry at all.  When I was a child, I used to dislike using the Dove soaps that my Mom would have because it was difficult to rinse off, but now I'm a bonafide convert.

I wonder what green tea product I'll find myself with next? :)