Accessorize thyself

This is the story of a burnt-out businesswoman who wanted a respite from doing the same old thing for years and years.

Last year, businesswoman Annie Ong decided to rest and just relax and enjoy her family and children. But after months of doing nothing, she decided she was not cut out to be a lady of leisure. She wanted to get involved in something completely different from what she had been doing in the past, which was trading dry goods. She looked back at her childhood and remembered that she enjoyed creating pretty little dresses with matching accessories for her dolls.

Being a kind of fashionista herself, she decided that she wanted to do something related to fashion. She challenged her artistic talent and started to dabble in designing accessories made from beads and other raw materials that she found in a box of odds and ends. Soon she was enjoying her little hobby and churning out unique designs. She gifted her friends with some of her creations and before long, her friends were asking her to create more for them at whatever price. Her accessories are so unique and ornate, they breathe life into the simplest dress.

Her hobby became a little home business and with the encouragement of her supportive husband, Jason, they decided that her accessories should be complemented by dresses as well.  Admitting that she also has a bad case of “Imeldific syndrome,” she decided that along with the clothes and accessories, she would also design shoes. She found a factory in Marikina that would manufacture her shoes and supply her the raw materials. The next step was to look for an outlet for her budding business.

While walking around Glorietta 3, she walked to Crossings and right there she knew that she found a home for her little business venture.

Annie Ong’s line at The Ramp in Crossings is called Cosmopolitan. The recessionista prices for her dresses start at P795. Her fashionable accessories start at P900. Her shoes start at P700.

Check out Annie Ong’s Cosmopolitan collection this holiday season at The Ramp, Crossings, in Glorietta 3.  At very friendly prices, this could be the solution to your holiday gift-giving problems.