Ces Olondriz: New girl in town

Fresh from graduating from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, tattoo artist Ces Olondriz is making her presence felt on the scene after bagging the enviable post of art director for the local version of Esquire, landing on our shores later this year. With a fresh perspective, Ces is back in Manila with a suitcase full of ideas, raring to splatter them on the pages of the iconic monthly. Get to know the newest girl about town in The Dialogue.

I’m inspired by borloloy. I like things that are intricate and patterns that repeat. There’s beauty in chaos.

My dream is to be a Bollywood star. I’ve always dreamt about how it would feel like to sing, dance and have 300 back-up dancers behind me all at the same time. I also love the vivid colors they use for their movies.

I designed my own tattoos. I have four tattoos and they’re all inspired by Russian prison tattoos and the biggest one is a collage with a Spanish galleon on my back. Some of my tattoos are reversed and mirrored so you won’t be able to read it unless you catch my reflection.

I like men’s fashion more than women’s fashion. Living in Spain left an impression and a standard of how men should dress.

Whatever She Ces: She can be into rugby one day, mohawks the next day—anything goes for Ces Olondriz.

You might see me on the rugby field. I’ve represented the Philippines for rugby before. I’ve always been athletic and I even taught softball.

I have stage fright. I don’t do well in front of a big crowd. When I was a kid, my knees used to shake whenever I’d have to recite something in front of a class.

I suffered through Chicago winters for art school. Once I had to carry a six-foot painting across the snow… and fell twice.

I used to have a mohawk. And then I shaved it off.

I trained for a beauty pageant. But the question and answer part would always end in a debate. My opinions were a bit too aggressive for their standards. It also didn’t help that I had cuts and bruises from rugby training the day before.

I’ve always been intrigued by “the dapper man.” There is a mystery that fascinates me about the “ideal man” and how he lives his life. There’s something about a well-rounded man that’s definitely attractive.

Lying Down Pretty: Who knows? She just might find the time to model soon as well.