Cool bags and beads for gals who gimmick

Thanks to our malls, the little shop around the corner where you can find precious things is virtually extinct. Everything’s been so branded and franchised to death that no restaurant –and certainly no store – is a well-kept secret anymore.

Or so I thought until my sister-in-law took me to Sweet Pea, a fashionable little shop around the corner from ABS-CBN. It’s where she does her shopping on the sly; where she "unearths" the stylish, unique accessories she wears or gives as gifts. And her biggest secret of all: Everything in the store is jaw-droppingly affordable, despite looking incredibly expensive.

Stepping into Sweet Pea is like entering the boudoir/bedroom of the coolest girl in town. A sleek sofa at the entrance is casually draped in hot-pink Chinese silk, with matching throw pillows. The candy-pink walls are festooned with silk totes in every mouthwatering color imaginable, from apple green to fuchsia. I pick up a price tag: P200.

On dressing tables, exquisite beaded watches are wrapped around placemats like glorified napkin rings. Clutches in every color and style – from beaded to lace-covered – stand next to matching necklace and bracelet sets. There’s a sophisticated yet fun and humorous sensibility at work here.

A metal mesh screen divides the cozy, 18 -sq.m. space. From it hang cell phone bags in vintage fabrics (P30 and up) and delicate pairs of chandelier earrings, in enough styles to turn even Nicole Kidman’s head. The prices on these are P200 up. What gives with the near-wholesale prices?

"We design and make everything in the store," explains owner Lynn del Rosario, 28. She and partner Yoan Garcia, 29, formed a partnership based on long-time friendship and a mutual love of accessories. Yoan designs all the bags and home accessories like throw pillows, table runners, slipcovers, placemats and coasters. Lynn sketches and strings almost all the jewelry. The two are both architecture graduates from the University of Santo Tomas and have been friends for years, which makes for an intuitive collaboration.

While Yoan has a manufacturer make her bags, Lynn works at home. Their sensibilities mesh in the occasional beaded bag, like the beautiful black one with the jeweled handle that took Lynn almost a month to make. "If I have a design in mind, and I need beads or accent pieces to incorporate into the bag, I’ll show Yoan a sketch, she comes up with something and puts them together."

The inspiration for Sweet Pea can be traced back to the duo’s college days. Lynn comes from a family of architects and was dutifully earning her own degree. But in between hitting the drafting boards, she was stringing necklaces from old beads that her sister noticed and wanted to wear. "It started with my sister liking the stuff I made for myself," remembers Lynn. "Then her friends saw it and started ordering."

Yoan is a bag-aholic who has always loved and collected them. While neither has formally studied her craft, the fact that they became partners – not in an architectural firm, but an accessories store – is a testament to their innate talents and passion.

Sweet Pea’s bags and earrings are undoubtedly the standouts, and the bestsellers. The day before the shoot, a Brazilian lady walked into the store and loved the merchandise so much she wanted to buy most of the stock for herself. While any other shop owner would be overjoyed, Lynn and Yoan were concerned because they make such limited quantities of each design (a maximum of three only) that they were afraid they’d have nothing left to show.

It’s this exclusivity and personal touch that make Sweet Pea different from other shops. And word of mouth has already spread, attracting everyone "from moms to working girls, yuppies, kids, and teens who want to go out all the time," laughs Yoan.

Depending on her mood, and after getting input from her friends, who tell her what they look for in a bag, her designs range from quirky to safe. But always different, and never trendy. "We’re not trendy people," claims Lynn. "I’m more of a classics kind of girl. I like a style that really lasts." "We try not to ride the wave," agrees Yoan.

One retro-looking bag used to be a coat in a previous life. "I saw this funky coat in one of these British stores abroad and thought, ‘Nice fabric for a bag,’ so I turned it into one," relates Yoan. Another clutch in traffic-stopping orange and green is made purely of velvet ribbons. "A friend commented that if you cross the street, no one’s going to bump you if you’re carrying that," she chuckles.

The pair will eventually venture into export, not the local market. "Here, there’s a lot of competition and people tend to copy," says Lynn. "You start a trend and a couple of months later, they come out with the same line." Which has already happened to them. "For one, our beaded watches were such a hit, but after a few months, customers were telling me they saw them elsewhere, being sold for less."

For now, they’re launching a bridal line of bags and gifts, which will be available at the bridal fair at Edsa Shangri-La in August. Yoan does freelance interior design on the side, and while Lynn wants to see Sweet Pea succeed before utilizing her architecture degree, the pair will happily dispense free home-decorating advice when asked. Just one of the many personal touches that make this little shop around the corner so special, and one you’ll want to visit over and over again.

Sweet Pea is located on the 2nd floor of the Courtyard Bldg., Sgt. Esguerra Street (formerly Bohol Ave.), Quezon City, near ABS-CBN. Open daily, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., except Sundays.