Indie labels push boundaries with accessories

MANILA, Philippines - Accessories are a lazy girl’s best friend. Not only do they spruce up a less than sartorial outfit, they can actually be worn without committing a fashion faux pas. From body chains to stackable silver rings, every accessory can become a statement piece. Add to your arsenal designs from Manila’s talented up-and-comers Gold Dot, OS, Paradigm Shift and Proud Race. These labels are close to home, far from mass-made, and might just be your wardrobe’s most eye-catching pieces. 

Gold not

Signature style: Towering platforms and clogs with contemporary spin on retro influences

Stand-out pieces: Anatalia clogs, Kookie booties, Cassandra peep-toe, and Chelsea bedges

Find them at: golddot.com.ph /0917-5070585 / 964-5597

Twenty-six-year-old shoe designer Ally Duazo fast-tracked her fashion career, starting as a part-time store frontliner for Tyler while still in college and ending up as the senior designer for Plains & Prints’ higher end R.A.F. line just a few years later. “I left to start Gold Dot as a brand of basic white shirts. But since my previous contract didn’t permit this, I instead launched a collection of shoes last July 2010,” she explains. “Gold Dot is all about making a statement. We’re known for sky-high footwear that is still comfortable.”

Each shoe is made in the Philippines. “We identify all the styles and requirements needed for a collection, and only then do we proceed to the theme and sketches.” From there on, Ally’s inspiration has no limits, coming everywhere from urban nomads to earthy elements, like air and wind.

Gold Dot shoes typically come in a statuesque five-inch heel, a combination of fabric and leather, and stylishly detailed, yet completely wearable, design. “Our all-time bestseller is the Anatalia Clog, which was part of our first collection,” recalls Ally. “I have to say our proudest achievement, though, is designing shoes for celebrities like Kris Aquino, Liz Uy and Solenn Heussaff.”

Paradigm shift

Signature style: Alternative, unusual details and clever shapes that challenge the mainstream

Stand-out pieces: Noose and wool bracelets, from their Pure collection

Find them at: paradigmshiftclothing.com/hypercoolmike@gmail.com /0915-3772745

As a label selling “basics with a twist,” Paradigm Shift never intended to make accessories. “We didn’t plan to add them to the line,” admits Mike Magallanes, one-third of the founding team, together with Karl Leuterio and Kervin Lopez. “But since Kervin had excess wool lying around his room, we just decided to have fun and be creative. And we thought the beige wool would be perfect for our Pure collection.”

While the three bloggers-turned-designers definitely drew from some pretty distinctive sources of inspiration  preserved animal fetuses in jars, extra-terrestrial beings, and even a noose  they made sure the accessories still complemented the main apparel. “We wanted to accent the minimal and monotonic pieces with statement accessories, but not overpower the clothes,” explains Mike, who adds that each piece was meticulously wrapped, coiled and went through a process called wet-felting, which involves washing it in warm, soapy water to agitate the fibers and “felt” them together.

The end result? Accessories the designers describe as “alien-like accoutrements of felted wool fit for an extra-terrestrial being.” But aside from adding another dimension to their collection, Paradigm Shift’s new foray also adds something new for the public. “People found them peculiar and would always make a comment, but they loved it,” says Mike. “A lot weren’t keen on the Noose, but the piece also turned out to be one of our bestsellers. We aren’t really promoting death, but just wanted a fun take on ‘fashion suicide.’ And it’s actually the one we wear all the time. It’s a conversation piece  people always notice it.”

 With one year and one successful accessory collection under their belt, the label is looking forward to grow in both apparel and accessories. “We definitely plan to make a whole range of accessories, but Paradigm Shift is a clothing brand first, so accessories must and always complement the clothes,” shares Mike. “We’re not into very loud accessories. We like plain things that invoke curiosity, that always offer something different. Our dream is to have shoes and bags as part of the line, that would be very cool.”

Proud race

Signature style: Minimal and androgynous aesthetic, with a heavy ‘90s influence

Stand-out pieces: Laser-cut feather, antler, and heart necklaces

Find them at: www.proudrace.com/info@proudrace.com / proudrace@gmail.com

From the brand that brought us those popular tongue-in-cheek “No. 1 Crush” tees and a wardrobe of forward, androgynous pieces, now comes a full-blown accessories collection. Cult label Proud Race has indeed come a long way since Rik Rasos and Pat Bondoc started straight out of college in 2009. Founded for want of things to wear, each of their clothing collections has always been accompanied by accessories.

“Back then, we concentrated on making accessories, so they sold quickly here and overseas. We were even featured in Nylon magazine when a New York DJ was seen wearing one of our pieces,” recalls Rik. The following seasons, however, saw the design duo focusing more on clothing, making a name for themselves in modern, minimal style. And not in the monotonous way either. Distinct draping and silhouettes  together with trademark touches of ‘90s MTV grunge  keep the label far from boring.

But now, four collections and over 10 international stockists later, Proud Race has decided to get back into accessories again. “This season is the perfect time,” says Rik. “Not only have we wanted to expand, there is actually a demand for accessories from buyers and showrooms that have been supporting our label these past seasons.”

This time around, though, Proud Race is doing things a little differently. “Our earlier accessories were cut and etched with lasers, so it wasn’t very artisanal. Now we’re more hands-on, picking all the leather and constructing the samples ourselves. We’re starting with small leather goods, hats, shoes, and bags made from cow hide and kid skin,” describes Pat. “We don’t plan on competing with other labels. We just want to produce products we believe in, do what we’re good at, and focus all our energy and creativity on our own aesthetic.”

OS Accessories

Signature style: Raw, sensual pieces focused on handcrafted bone reproductions using polyurethane, metal, and leather

Stand-out pieces: Birdskull, crossbone, cluster of bones, invertebrae

Find them at: www.os-accessories.com/ mail@os-accessories.com/0916-2095872

We’re not saying OS has a bone to pick with you, but their label is all about the distinctive skeletal structure. Making their official debut just last April 2011, the design duo behind OS  Paul Jatayna and AJ Omandac  released a collection of 14 natural, surprisingly wearable, bone-inspired pendants called Vol. 1. “We decided that OS should be more street than avant-garde, so we initially kept the off-white color so the pieces could complement a lot of outfits,” explains AJ.

Seven months and a fair share of fashionable fans later, OS pushes the boundaries even further with its just-released second collection, aptly titled Vol. 2. The 20-plus-piece lineup introduces touches of black leather to the mix, whether as a sleek choker strap or a fitting, skin-tight wrap over the label’s signature pendants. The designs themselves have likewise grown louder and bigger, with chunky Hoof and Uroboros neckpieces, a dangling Throng of Thighs, and a spiky statement Invertebrae piece. Other new additions included caps, cuffs, earrings and harnesses, all of course created in the raw, handcrafted look OS is now known for. “Built around bone and enhanced with leather and metal, this new offering of accessories showcases an expanded product range and a sharper stylistic edge.”

“We wanted to play with the BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism), while still retaining the original vision of OS  raw, edgy, and street,” says AJ. “The process was long, as usual. We collected new animal bones from various sources, learned to work with authentic leather, and finally, sampled the pieces. We used a lot of teeth, hooves, nails, caws, and new bone reproductions, with leather and chains.”

“The final collection is as much about dominance as it is about submission, as much about discipline as it is about self-indulgence, as much about pain as it is about pleasure.”