MANILA, Philippines – A clutch designed and made in the Philippines made it to the list of Oprah’s “Favorite Things” for 2016.
Beatriz, an up-and-coming artisanal brand sold in the US, Asia and Europe, known for its bright, graphic and modern clutches, is one of the lucky brands to be featured on this year’s “Oprah’s Favorite Things” in the O, The Oprah magazine. (To purchase Oprah’s Beatriz selections, buyers can log onto www.amazon.com and check out Oprah’s Favorite Things.)
Beatriz caught the eye of Oprah magazine’s style editor Rae Ann Herman and creative director Adam Glassman at the recent NY NOW August 2016 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York.
“With each Beatriz purchase, you will be supporting an adopted livelihood community of women in the Philippines. Each bag provides work in the community. The product is made of cotton thread and attached with a special gluing technique that involves lining the raw threads one by one to form the final pattern. Thus, each product is truly unique and celebrates even the imperfections as a sign of true artisanship and handicraft. No two pieces will be exactly alike,” says Carissa Cruz-Evangelista, head designer for Beatriz.
Carissa is ecstatic to be selected for the Oprah’s Favorite Things program and considers it a huge opportunity not just for her brand but for all the women that Beatriz has adopted as part of its advocacy to help livelihood communities.
Asked what inspired her to go into fashion design, Carissa says, “My mom paints, my dad is an architect, my Tita Josie Natori is both a designer and a piano prodigy. My lola nanay Angelita Cruz is an accomplished pianist and the whole Vera-Perez family is a family of producers, directors, actors and actresses and chefs.
“I started my Bella trading business after my eldest daughter Isabella Beatriz was born. I thought of naming my first bag under the brand Beatriz after my daughter. I loved that name and thought it was regal, cosmopolitan but modern. I have yet to start a business for my youngest, Gabrielle Francesca.”
Carissa adds, “Never in my wildest dreams did I think our bags would be selected by Oprah. What a blessing Oprah is to us and all the people she has helped because of her endorsement. We are truly so grateful to her, to the editors and staff at The O Magazine and to Amazon.com for this opportunity!”
(For inquiries, e-mail houseofbeatriz@gmail.com and visit www.beatrizph.com. Inquiries to carry Beatriz’s product in the US can be sent to The RJM Group via rgediso@aol.com and at 212-2652047.)