Hindy Weber: Beauty, brains & fashion sense

Funny but I think of Hindy Weber as our very own Brigitte Bardot. Mainly because of two things. Both look good in bikinis, except that Hindy designs bikinis herself. And both are passionate animal lovers. Hindy says she could have been a zoologist, for as a kid she had two loves: animals and art.

"As fate would have it, I pursued my love for the creative and ended up in Ateneo. But during college, I was obsessed with fashion. I’d come home and read magazines instead of doing my homework. I’d steal my mom’s and dad’s clothes and customize them. But the nerd in me made me think that fashion was frivolous and superficial."

It was during Hindy’s first year at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York that she realized she was an idiot for not following her heart. "I should have gone straight to fashion," she recalls. "But no regrets, for I learned a lot of things in Ateneo."

She finished her FIT course just in time to join Rustan’s as the first designer for U in December 1999. U is the "retail-tainment" space inside Rustan’s where young people can shop for RTW and accessories, hang out, eat and listen to music.

"U was spearheaded by Katrina Tantoco, Monty Roxas and Gina Bonoan together with a marketing and merchandising team. When I was hired, they had a logo and concept already. My first project was to design packaging, RTW, shoes, bags and accessories for U Boys, U Girls and YVIP," Hindy explains.

U is a cool success, with its affordable and hip clothes drawing to Rustan’s the young people who perceived Rustan’s as mainly for their elegant, big-spending parents.

This August, Hindy will make her debut at Rustan’s ladies department as designer for another label "created for the 25 to 45-year-old woman who is stylish, unique, independent, fashion-conscious, open-minded, adventurous and in touch with her femininity," Hindy says.

Hindy Weber belongs to that breed of young designers who love, live and breathe fashion, and have the brains and the technical training for it. Plus the good looks and savvy to model her own designs as well. She is an essential part of Rustan’s third-generation fashion movers that will ensure that Rustan’s, the country’s venerable 52 year-old retail institution, will keep on staying young.

Philippine STAR: What is your personal style? How do you describe it?

Hindy Weber: I’m sort of schizo, really – like a chameleon. One day, I can be all corporate and pretty, then the next, I feel like being really beachy and bohemian – totally just depending on my mood. When you look in my closet, I don’t think you’ll really be able to pinpoint one specific style. I really love playing dress-up and experimenting on different looks on me at home. I love unique pieces with a history – real or fantasized – or a smart little modern object.

Who are your fashion icons?

Among my contemporaries, I can relate to the laid-back style of Cameron Diaz, Milla Jovovich and Kate Moss. I also love outrageous people like Isabella Blow, Marlene Dietrich, Frida Kahlo, Coco Chanel, Chrissie Hynde, Jane Birkin, Audrey H. beautiful, beautiful!

Who are the designers you admire?

This season, I’m really liking the work of McQueen, Ghesquiere, Lagerfeld for Chanel, Marc Jacobs for Vuitton, Roland Mouret, Tom Ford’s delicious coats for YSL, and Fendi’s divine heels. Locally, I honestly admire Rustan’s in-house RTW designers Criselda Lontok, Pia Regala-Hebron, Tina Casimiro, Stef Sarmiento and Ivy Espino because I see their skill and dedication firsthand. Also Rhett Eala, Mich Dulce, Dennis Lustico, LZ Punzalan and Lulu Tan Gan.

Who are your fashion mentors?

I don’t think I really have any, not yet at least. Although I think I’ve always been influenced by my mom’s casual sense of style. She’s always been natural and never looks too made up.

Every fashionista talks about must-haves in her closet. What about yours?

A white ribbed tank top, dark and distressed jeans, A denim mini/hot pants, black tuxedo pants, a trenchcoat, white wide-legged trousers, olive/khaki cargos, a skinny belt in an outrageous color, a thick leather sash, op-art scarves, a tailored white polo, a Lacoste knit polo, a simple knit tube top, the perfect white T, a lace camisole, a Kamali bathing suit, a Missoni dress, a Chanel jacket, a velour hoodie, a floral round skirt, a tweed pencil skirt, a satin dress, a jersey wrap top/dress, men’s trousers, oh gosh, do you have another hour to listen?

What would you never wear?

Heavy perfume or cologne – I think it’s an invasion of air space – and natural-waist pants. I’ll take them really high-waisted or really low-slung.

What are your favorite shopping places?

I usually like out-of-the way boutiques with special pieces, like Itsie-Bitsie and Souk. In New York, I loved shopping in Nolita, the lower East Side and SoHo. But I’m also into big shops like Rustan’s or Barneys. And I think I’ll forever be a flea-market, garage-sale junkie. It’s just so precious when you find something you love amid all the so-called junk.

What did you imbibe during your stay in NY? How did your FIT education mold your views in fashion?

NY has become essential to who I am. Although I never completely felt like a local even after eight years, being there made me feel like I was part of something bigger, something significant. Growing up in Manila can make one pretty self-involved. In New York, you’re a nobody. I made friends from scratch, I paved my own way at work. And it’s precisely this feeling of insignificance, of anonymity, that molds you as a unique individual. It was there I met my first mentor, too. And it was there wherein I felt I built the foundation for my design aesthetic. FIT was great in that it had incredible fashion archives and very informative exhibits and seminars.

What was your very first design?

I used to make dresses for my dolls when I was young. When I was 10, I made a vest which I was so proud of even if my mom thought I was silly. I made the vest from an old jacket and I put all sorts of stuff like beadwork in it.

What was your biggest fashion moment?

I’d say my wedding, where I wore a simple lace gown by Rhett Eala. We had lots of orchids for this outdoor contemporary Asian wedding held at Sta. Elena.

Before U opened, Rustan’s was perceived to be appealing to a more mature market, fashion-wise. How do you describe today‘s young market? What do they really like? What are their preferences and then shopping habits?

Today’s young people are very well-informed, media-driven and discriminating. Determining what they like is the trick, but like all young people, they want to look cool, sexy and unique. These can mean different things depending on their age and group. Sometimes what is cool to one person is skater punk or surfer, then to another, it’s preppy chic. It really depends on the image they want to project, who they want to attract and which celebrity they are influenced by. In terms of shopping habits, it really isn’t all that unusual. They usually shop with their friends, although many still tag their parents along. What’s important is not to hard-sell them. They know what they want. It’s just a matter of presenting it right, together with some bonuses like free CDs and discounts, passes to fashion shows.

How do you keep your radar fine-tuned to see what‘s in, what‘s out among the young?

Basically just staying in touch with pop-culture, music, TV, movies, mags. I always try to remind myself not to fall into a style rut. It’s simply about being dynamic and open-minded to new styles and ideas.

As a designer, would you rather dictate the trends, or give in to what you think would be the next global or local trend?

Because our primary market is in tune with international trends, it’s vital that they find those trends in the store. They want to have what celebrities are wearing. But, as a designer, I use my discretion, too, to sift through what I think will work locally.

What have been U‘s best-selling items? Non-moving items? What lessons have you learned regarding what sells and what doesn‘t sell for the young?

They vary from season to season. Sometimes, to my surprise, it’s an item we were even afraid to bank on – like trenchcoats, for example. Striped knits and denim pieces always sell. My terry and velour sportswear did well in the summer. Non-moving items are usually the avant-garde pieces, but only because I think they look out of place. The most important thing I’ve learned is to focus and to merchandise and display properly.

What is your own best-selling design?

Simple T’s. People can’t resist nice-fitting, simple shirts.

What is the design you regretted doing?

There are so many! I design literally hundreds of pieces per season. I’m bound to screw up here and there. It’s very embarrassing, but I try to learn from them.

What are the common fashion booboos you have observed among Pinoys?

It’s not really a booboo, but what bothers me is that most Filipinos stick to what they’re comfortable with, or what is acceptable. They’re afraid to try new things. Even more so with the guys. But of course, young people are more adventurous now.

Your fashion fantasy?

To dress Kate Moss. To have access to YSL’s and Chanel’s archives. To apprentice at Margiela’s atelier. To spend a weekend with Lagerfeld and Galliano, separately. And I wish I could wear everything in my dreams.

If you could start a trend locally, what would it be?

I wish people would wear more hats – all kinds from huge ones to pillboxes. Which is why I love Isabella Blow.

How do you check what‘s in and out among young people in Manila?

First of all, I’m like a walking sponge. I literally observe everything and anything. It’s up to me to decide what’s relevant to my work or not. I also go out and enjoy being amongst friends and in the process, I get to see how people are strutting their stuff these days.

Which are your favorite restos and bars?

I love Malate, so it’d have to be Acquario, Raj, Courtyard, and Fidel. I love the food in La Nuova in San Antonio Square and El Cirkulo.

How do your describe today‘s young fashionistas?

They know how to flirt with fashion, and are a lot more daring than I was at their age. It’s refreshing and inspiring to witness.

There are so many whose style I admire, honestly. There are many whom I don’t even know. And I’m not sure they’re all what you’d consider young either. But the ones STAR readers are likely to be familiar with are Celine Lopez and Wendy Hotung, Tina Tinio and Xeng Z., Eman Pineda, Rissa and Raya M, Carol Garcia, the stylists Charmaine Palermo, Lotho, RCXY, the Preview girls, Pauline, Rorie, Ana K and Isha, Tricia Cu-Unjieng, Anna Cruz, Cherrie del Rosario, Romina and Amina of Chalk mag, Tim Yap... I could go on and on.

What’s your advice to fashionistas?

Don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment with your style. Read magazines, watch movies, window-shop, be in touch with what’s happening, travel if you can, even domestically – see what you feel most drawn to and your style will come naturally. Learn the rules and know when to break them. And never ever take it too seriously!

What difficulties do you encounter as a designer in the Philippine RTW industry?

There’s a limited supply of unique, good quality fabrics – you have to search all the corners to get something different but then it‘s still no guarantee that nobody will have it. If I want something extra special, I’ll have to make the fab but this is quite expensive and impractical for our market, so it’s not always feasible. Also we have inferior production capabilities. I think it‘s the insufficient training, limited resources and shortage of hi-tech machinery that make our manufacturing industry inferior to those abroad. We‘ll never be as good as foreign manufacturers unless the government or private sector subsidizes or invests in this industry. These are our circumstances – we just have to make the most out of it. We really need to keep pushing ourselves. Never say die!

With the liberalization on trade to be enforced in 2004, local products will face stiff competition from imported goods that will come in tax-free. How are RTW designers like you preparing for this?

It’s definitely going to be painful because most people are drawn to brand-name imported goods. This is why we must push ourselves to be worthy of their competition. I believe we still know the Filipino consumer better than foreign companies ever will, and we need to capitalize on this. We must build a solid brand image and market it well. We must think in global terms. Is this up to par with international brands? And once and for all, get rid of the "pwede na yan," "bahala na" mentality.

How does it feel working for a big retail institution like Rustan’s?

Although it can be frustrating at times due to the slow pace in which ideas are able to materialize, I feel we are at an advantage because we have a great team and a network of resources to support our endeavors.

How do you devote time for your work, your husband and your child?

I try to make it a point to be home at a reasonable hour and to leave my weekends free, but due to the nature of my job, that’s not always possible. Retail is incredibly hectic. Nonstop! We try to go out of town as often as possible.

What are your hobbies and de-stressers?

The beach, my dogs, shopping, massages, red wine, watching movies and the Discovery Channel.

What will you be doing 10 years from now?

I’m not really a planner, so I couldn’t tell you. Whatever it is, I hope it’s fun.

What is your next big dream?

To set up an animal shelter. To visit New Zealand. To design bikinis and have them locally-made. To be a kung-fu warrior chick like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.