The Burden of Bea Valdes

It seems very few people know that before her iconic pieces made it to the pages of Vogue, accessory designer Bea Valdes was writing for a newspaper.

Around 2002 she was assigned to interview Chito Vijandre and Ricky Toledo of Firma, a shop that had just opened at Greenbelt 3.

“They had the most wonderful assortment of treasures and were such staunch advocates of artisanal crafts,” Bea recalls.

“It was an afternoon of happy education, as they told me about each item they carried, where they went to find it, and the particular adventure that accompanied the search for every piece. The article I wrote for them has also been a story that I continue to believe in—it was called Lessons from Things.”

While the interview led to a friendship with Firma, prior to that Ricky Toledo recalls having noticed Bea at the Malate bar Fidel because she was “very chic. I knew she was Panililo. When we finally met I realized she was the one who designed those fabulous bags sold at Panlilio. So I told her, anytime you want to design for the store, please let us know.”

The Gypsy neckpiece by Bea Valdes for FIRMA Photo by Rachel Rillo

Bea went to work and created a collection of bags for Firma, made of wood and metal. It was 2003 and they sold out right away, recalls Ricky. “She also made skull charms before they became trendy, and those egg-shaped bags that were heavily copied. She did that seminal collection that eventually made it to Vogue.”

Bea’s successful relationship with the shop has resulted in a new holiday collection called “The Burden of Silk” which was launched in a private exhibit at Firma last November 11, 2010.

Bea says, “About eight months ago, Chito and Ricky approached me and asked if I would like to do a show with them. I thought it would be a great way to say thank you to everybody, friends and family especially, who have been so encouraging through the years. So I jumped at the opportunity to work together once more.”

She was inspired by a passage written by English novelist A.S. Byatt: “…words have been all my life, all my life—this need is like the Spider’s need who carries before her a huge Burden of Silk which she must spin out…why, what can she do but make more, spin afresh, design anew…” 

Bea says, “I thought it was such a poetic way to express this need, this drive that any creative person carries within. It is a blessing mostly, and perhaps a true burden only if it cannot be released, expressed and made real.”

Lepidoptera beaded bolero created with sequins, crystal, tulle and string elements Photo by Rachel Rillo

Her holiday collection is composed of about 30 unique evening bags, ribbon vests, and “some other pieces we can’t quite give a name to as we are also trying to find new styles. And sometimes there are no names yet for what has just been discovered.”

The pieces are exclusively available at Firma. Although most of them are already sold or “kind of reserved,” there are still a few pieces left.

Evening bags go for P28,000-P95,000 while vests or body accessories are priced from P35,000 to P186,000 for a still unsold masterpiece with lateral beading, the one Ricky describes as “the most awesome piece.”

Swarovski, the premium brand for the finest crystal elements, is the key ingredient in all creations showcased at this private exhibit. It is also the first time Bea has worked with snakeskin.

Describing her design process, Ricky says Bea never repeats her pieces exactly the same, even though there is demand for a particular style. “She doesn’t have a plan. She just creates from the beads and her mind and just watches over her beaders.”

Bea says, “I work in simultaneous patches—from one section to another, linking, interweaving. This hitching an idea to the next, reaching out and grabbing onto the adjacent detail—sometimes, hopefully, cobbling a whole together… I think women have a need to nurture, to create, to nourish, to tell their stories—and this burden of silk, is the sway of that desire.”

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FIRMA is on the ground floor, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati. Please call 757-4009, fax 7574010 or email firma2@vasia.com for inquiries.