My Best Friends...

Ah...a woman's bestfriend. I'm not pertaining to the 'D' (as in De Beers = diamond) but to the other 'bestfriends' that a fashionable woman can't live without.

How do accessories, bags and shoes sound to you? Isn't shopping one of the activities in a travel bug's itinerary when they travel abroad? The Philippines is a treasure trove of amazing finds that are both locally adored and internationally admired.

One of the two women that I will feature here is a well-known business chameleon. She started out strutting her stuff on the runway and eventually became a retailer, restaurateur, and now, as an internationally acclaimed bags and accessories designer.

Photo courtesy of blogs.stylebible.ph

Tina Maristela - Ocampo sealed her uniqueness by initially concentrating on minauderes. Not only this compact style case stole the hearts of women all around the world (mine included), it also showcased traditional Filipino materials in her pieces.
Photo courtesy of www.handbagsenvy.com

The other woman in this style feature is Bea Valdes. This fashion maven has an amazing eye for details.

Photo courtesy of www.chuvaness.livejournal.com

It is not a piece of cake at all to do beadwork. Trust me. Since I've started my creative endeavour, one of my goals is to be able to do decent beadwork, something to this effect (wishful thinking :)

Anyway, Bea's work was recently seen on the neck of Kate Moss on the the latest British Vogue edition. How's that for an endorsement!

In her webpage, it was mentioned that artisans from the Philippines were the creative hands behind the fabulous pieces of art.

Photo courtesy of www.tuffochsnorkig.blogspot.com

Now for the most important part (the asterisk in advertising lingo). The price is not for everyone's pocket. In fact, I have to work and work and work for such a long time to be able to purchase one of these :) But I assure you, it's worth every penny. Quality and craftmanship are priceless qualities.