Not by the book: Tippi Ocampo's guide to fashion and creativity

Fashion designer Tippi Ocampo has always been known for her whimsical creations. A peek into her website, www.tippiocampo.com, reveals Tippi’s stylishly colorful world and hints at the advertising copywriter turned fashion designer’s love for the design process, as much as the finished works themselves.

Tippi, who owns and designs for retail brands Lounge Lizard and Pret-a-Party, as well as for her own made-to-order business, believes that design should be a purpose and not an afterthought. Working with Chinggay Labrador, Lizza Gutierrez and graphic artist Cynthia Bauzon, she has come up with Not by the Book, a cloth-bound book that charts the designer’s creative journey from inspiration to execution, using everyday Filipino sights as jump-off points to some of the designer’s more interesting pieces.

“It sort of debunks the idea that to come up with something beautiful, like in fashion, it doesn’t necessarily have to be something fabulous that inspires a creation. You can take from little everyday things around, depending on what strikes you. You can make it into a design and translate it into fashion,” Tippi says.

Not by the book

Tippi’s take on the creative process is interesting, as it debunks the notion that fashion — and creativity in general — needs to be nurtured in a glamorous setting. “Here, (fashion) is glamorized, and as much as I appreciate that, it’s also interesting to see that there are other avenues and other aspects of both fashion and design and even in my clothing,” Tippi says, “Whether it’s from the environment or the urban landscape, you can take inspiration from things you see offhand like... when you see a shanty house... its textures or the color of the rust and the way it’s put together can trigger inspiration and can result in something nice.”

Another point that Tippi wants to make is that everyday things that we take for granted can be sources of inspiration as well, such as a unique moth or fresh vegetables in a market stall, both of which she has used as inspiration for stylish pieces. “(I want the book) to make (people) see everyday things in a different way... (things like) a jeepney or a trapo... you can actually take something from Filipino things that are common and everyday,” Tippi says.

More than just looking at something, Tippi encourages people waiting for their creativity to spark to use all their senses, including the often neglected sense of touch. In fact, Not by the Book is a tactile experience on its own, starting with the cloth-bound cover and stitched-in title. Tippi also shares that design should be thought of as part of the end product, and not simply an add-on. “I think that design is not something that is given proper focus in our country. It’s just an add-on (here). For me, design has an intrinsic value. (If) you inject a sense of humor (or) a whimsical point of view, it will come across in what you end up designing.” A good example of where design is built in with function are buildings in Europe, which Tippi counts as one of the most inspiring places she’s been to. “I like how in Europe, they’re very respectful of their environment. They don’t just take something bongga and plunk it in the middle of something.”

She hopes to debunk one of the biggest myths that Filipinos believe about fashion and design: that it’s a terrain available to only a select few. “I honestly think that everyone has the capacity to hone (their creative side)... if they allow themselves to appreciate and practice it,” Tippi says, “It’s not a little elitist circle and it’s not only para sa sosyal. I think design should be available to everyone and they should recognize that it’s an important aspect of everyday life, not just for certain occasions or for certain people.”

Though Not by the Book deals with the creative process behind fashion, the principle behind it can be applied to other creative avenues as well. “Right now, we are focusing on fashion aficionados but... when you say design, it can cover things that are not fashion per se,” Tippi says. “The principles in (the book) are open to anyone in design in general, anyone interested in doing anything creative. It doesn’t have to be fashion related. The books touches on a different way of seeing and doing things.”

From inspiration to installation

The perfect example of the book’s principles come to life is the exhibit that accompanies its launch. Tippi describes the exhibit as “the book come to life.” And for Tippi Ocampo fans who can’t get enough, the designs in the exhibit will be available for purchase.

The exhibit can be viewed at the Greenbelt 3 lobby from Nov. 24 to 30, and is curated by Yael Buencamino, managing director of the Ateneo Art Gallery. “(The exhibit) is almost like a culmination of what you see as you go through the book,” Tippi explains.

Not by the Book will be launched on Nov. 24 at the Greenbelt 3 lobby at 6 p.m. It will be available for the duration of the exhibit and will be found in leading specialty bookstores afterwards.