Side piece? Not really. More like ‘side project.’
Check out this lil’ gem I made for my bf. It’s a wallet that holds your iPhone, cards, and whatever else you choose to cop and carry. Exterior: black python. Interior: calfskin and suede. Hand-stitched, too.
What do you think? I may have to make myself one.
Now, back to my regularly scheduled program…I’m off to continue developing the collection.
Flashback to more than fifteen years ago, when my clique and I would spend Friday nights ratting at Scarborough Town Centre (a mall in the ‘burbs of Toronto). On one occurrence, I rolled out with my BFF like we usually did: with $20 in hand – enough for bus fare, a movie, an order of New York Fries, and enough change to split a McFlurry afterwards. Upon arrival, we met a “handwriting analyst” at a new office supply store, Grand & Toy. We both participated in the “analysis.” My results, below:
The “analyst” writes:
Showmanship / flair
Investigative
Wedges = Analytical
A need for control of life / dec. / destiny
Very few tell you what to do
Initiative – You can’t stand waiting but want to go after what you want
Open R’s = Open to your creativity
Once a teenage skeptic, I now feel like the analyst was right on point. Or was it just a bunch of hokey pokey BS? Either way, I don’t need a handwriting study to tell me I am these qualities. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve already learned that they hold true.
Happy Friday, my friends!
My love for designing shoes remains constant like the forever smirk behind my smile. (Haha!) And when I saw Ivy Kirzhner’s SS13 debut collection, I was instantly reminded about everything I so dearly love about art, footwear and fashion: sky-high heels, geometric detail and Art Deco galore. The Art Deco era is hands-down my fave, and Kirzhner embodies it so nicely in her collection. Casted metal heels with hand-enameled designs and 18K gold (!) finishings? Yes, please!
Am I overly excited because she’s a fellow Filipina? I’m proud of my heritage – what can I say?
Photos: ivykirzhner.com
The book, Bottega Veneta, is one of the best pieces of inspiration I’ve ever read. I resonate so closely with the vision of Bottega Veneta’s creative director, Tomas Maier – more so than any other designer I adore. Maier aims to produce work that is focused on craftsmanship and quality: two main attributes that I too will forever value in my work. Maier appreciates the talented hand of the skilled artisan – a quality I consistently seek for myself as an individual craftsperson, as well as in the production of my collection. He also states, “Certainly, handcraftsmanship is expensive. You can own more things if they’re mass-produced. It’s also unnecessary.” I totally concur! Buy less, buy better. Quality over quantity, folks. Always.
Bottega Veneta’s slogan, “When Your Own Initials Are Enough” is a direct reflection of the company’s stance: quiet luxury. The brand has no need to scream “BV!” because its product clearly speaks for itself.
This is what I strive for in the creation of Pascual. In fact, I promise you now that I will always be brutally honest. I will not knock-off or sell-out. I will seek quality, luxury and creativity. I will build a foundation, and not a fast fix. And I won’t give up. Because I feel like I have so much to share, make, design and create for you – I love to create! I freakin’ love it.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…I feel good. Now, back to work.
/////Diary excerpt. Spacey and abstract, but, you get me, right?
Ballsy. That’s exactly what I want to be.
Living in one of the most expensive cities in the world has definitely taken its toll. Stability is great, but it’s just not for me. F$%* my $50 bag of fruit. I just won’t buy it anymore.
I’d rather dive head first into a sea of unknown than continue on with the same routine. Spreading myself too thin was the biggest mistake. Putting part time hours into a lifelong dream wasn’t okay. Designing while sleepwalking wasn’t okay. Pushing 30 years old and no goals crossed off the (new) bucket list is not okay. And sleeping on a floor in Queens was definitely not for naught.
I know I’m hard on myself, but that’s just how I roll.
‘Night.
I can hardly wait for the clouds to part, and the sweet, sweet smell of spring blooms. Though it’s not even February, I’m already living in spring mode.
So far, I’m feeling peek-a-boo cut-outs (A. Wang, Nina Ricci), sporty, silky bombers (JPG, Loewe) and animal prints and exotics (Miele, Cavalli) – my all time fave!
Check out my trend boards below!
Rob Ryan is a British paper cutter artist, whose book, This Is For You totally charmed my heart. This Is For You is a naive little story about life and love. I absolutely adore Ryan’s use of hand-cut typography and graphically cut-out imagery — intricacies and imperfections included. I was so uplifted to see such honest artwork after such a long, grey, gloomy week.
An excerpt:
“You know you want to say something, but what? You know you want to say something, but how?…But nothing happens until you say the first word, or write the first letter, or cut the first line. And so I started…”
