Poisonberry: The new venom

One day, my youngest daughter Ara came home raving about the skirt of her friend’s sister. She said she wanted one, too, so we checked out the site — www. poisonberry.multiply.com.

When I saw what they had, I understood why Ara wanted to have her own, too. The skirts were eye-catching, with colorful and funky designs. The brand also has tops and dresses. And so, I wanted to learn more about Poisonberry and its creators.

Poisonberry was conceptualized by long-time high school friends Angelica Ong and Rachel Lim in March last year. They had been in the same barkada since first year high school at ICA. Angelica is a senior at De La Salle University taking up Advertising Management while Rachel is a senior at Ateneo de Manila University taking up Communications Technology Management. In their spare time, Angelica enjoys tinkering around in Adobe Photoshop and shopping while Rachel enjoys photography, dancing, going to different places and seeking new adventures.

Even when they were younger, designing clothes was already a passion for both. For Rachel, fashion was something that had been introduced to her at a young age. Ever since, she always leaned towards the arts and creatives than sciences, but didn’t know which creative outlet to pursue. However, upon entering college, she soon realized that fashion was something she really wanted to pursue and that designing clothes would be the perfect outlet to release her creativity.

They said that they get inspiration from fashionable people they encounter every day. They are amazed at how a lot of fashionable girls are able to mix and match pieces to create various distinct and unique looks on their own.

According to them, they have no specific market but most of their clients are girls that range from ages 16 to 25. Since most of their pieces exude a funky and upbeat vibe, it’s the younger market that easily takes notice. This doesn’t mean though that they are limiting themselves to clients of that age alone. They welcome anyone who wants to have a piece of their creation and have fun with it.

Before they design pieces, they make it a point to take on the role of the consumer. If they don’t see themselves buying or wearing something, then they alter the design and make it more suitable and preferable to their taste. As much as possible, they try to release new collections bi-monthly.

Their price ranges are also very affordable.

What comments do they get about their designs from consumers? People’s tastes and preferences can be very different so they did not really expect the amazing support people have given them. With all the positive feedback they are getting, they are more inspired.

Poisonberry is proof of Rachel’s and Angelica’s passion turned into reality. They embraced their love for fashion and took the next step. They are using their creativity to create pieces that can light up anyone’s day.

After seeing their collections and learning about their story, I think Poisonberry is a must-have.

(Check them out at www.poisonberry.multiply.com)