Discovering color, one accessory at a time

At a private trunk show I recently attended at Establishment on a humid Saturday afternoon, I spotted accessories designers Michelline Syjuco and Joyce Makitalo talking color — and by color, I mean hair color.

Michelline had just dyed her hair a head-turning blonde and Joyce was in the market for a similar — but less blonde — dye job. “More ash brown than blonde,” Joyce tells me.

Color seemed to be a key component of the designers’ new pieces — which quickly becomes apparent after a survey of their new merch.

“I love color these days, which is a bit shocking to most since people usually dub me a gothic princess,” Michelline says. “Since I recently went blonde, I discovered a newfound love for fluorescents and pastels. I’ve also been incorporating more color into my new pieces, using multicolored stones in bright vivid colors.”

“I have always loved color, but I used to avoid neons,” adds Joyce. “These days, I find myself accenting outfits with kaleidoscope-y fluorescents. I just got a blinding belt bag from Harajuku Lovers and couldn’t stop using it; I’m composing outfits around it.”

At the Objets d’Art trunk show, designers Joyce Makitalo’s oversized pendants (above) and Michelline Syjuco’s colorful stone-studded accessories stole the show (right and below).

Even Emi Jorge, known for her shoes, recently made the jump to clutches and minaudières. She, too, has been bitten by the color bug. Her red tinalak clutch is a bright, juicy pop against a sea of tasteful dark woods and pale mother of pearl. She christened it Symphony no 5, otherwise known as Ode to Joy, since her daughter performed the hymn one Christmas.

“The bag is inspired by pasko,” Emi explains. That’s why it has the five points representing the star which is made of white metal. The tentacles may seem like a squid’s but it’s actually the texture from a starfish, while the body is in red tinalak fabric, which is the happiest color in the merriest season of the year.”

Everyone, it seems, is drinking the colorful Kool-Aid.

“I never try to follow trends,” Joyce says, “though I believe there is a universal consciousness that causes people to think in unison and somewhat enjoy a particular palette at one time or season. It probably has something to do with the alignment of the planets: most of the time, I would be craving to create a piece using certain colors only to find out that they’re part of the next season’s palette. My more recent pieces have a lot of greens and yellows, with my usual jewel tones creeping around them.”

“I’m not usually influenced by trends when it comes to work,” adds Michelline, “but I suppose it’s safe to say that since color has made an entrance into my life, it has also done so in my work — at least for now.”

Nicole Whisenhunt’s white turquoise bead necklace with colorful accents and A hand-painted shagreen clutch