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Vivienne Tang

Meet the region's leading  fashion designers

Born and raised in Manila, handbag designer Bea Valdes  was born into a family of jewellers.   She studied creative writing and industrial design at the University of the Philippines, and then  studied interior design at the Inchbald School of Design in London in 1994.   She returned  to the Philippines  and started work as a design consultant in 1997. In 2004 she launched her first collection of bags,  featuring crystals, glass drops, antique fabric, semi-precious stones, beads and feathers.  Each bag is   made by hand in the Philippines.

Have you always wanted to be  a designer?

Drawing and designing have  been a part of my life for as long as I can  remember. When I was five,   I designed my own costume for Halloween, which won  a prize   at school.

How did you set up the label?

The beadwork began as a hobby, because I've been in the interior design industry since 1996. In 2000, I had one beader and we were experimenting with different techniques.  I launched my label in 2004 through a boutique  in the Philippines. I  launched inter-nationally in New York last year.

What's the structure of  the company?

We have a small workshop of about 30 people. I like to think  of it as a learning environment.  I encourage the girls to teach  each other and discover better techniques.  The nature of our work isn't geared towards thousands of pieces, but  a few  that are unique. Each piece   takes  between 150 and 300  hours.   Everything is meticulously hand-stitched.

What are you in charge of?

Design, sourcing and production.  I have a design assistant. I'd love to  build a proper design team.

What inspires you?

The materials.  When you use semi-precious stones, no two will be exactly alike. Designing has to be organic. It has to adapt. You have to constantly marry shape with semblance, and concoct a different, subtle balance with each piece. The Philippines has a long tradition of embroidery  that also inspires me.

What does your current collection look like?

The spring/summer collection  features citrus-coloured hues of apricot, lemon, lime, caramel, butter, vanilla and toffee. They still look like  a cross between evening bags and jewellery, with feathers, crystals and semi-precious stones. This season is an exploration  of techniques.

What else do you design?

I've just started making beaded necklaces,  in the same style as  the bags. They'll be in stores  next year.

Where are your designs available?

In Hong Kong, we're  in Harvey Nichols. We're also available  in Saks Fifth Avenue and  Barneys in the US and Firma Makati in Manila.

Where do you want to expand?

We had plans  to expand to other countries, but the reception  to our current collection has  been bigger than we expected. Right now, we're unable to accommodate more orders. Perhaps at the end of this year we'll be ready to expand. I prefer to grow slowly and steadily.

Have you ever been moved by the reaction towards your designs?

The most moving comment came from a French jewellery designer. He'd come back three times to the store, but it was closed each time. He'd seen them inside the glass display and had been circling around, trying to figure out where and how they were made. When he finally saw them up close, he told me that they were made with great tenderness, and to him, it was like poetry.

What plans do you have?

The natural progression would be to expand into clothes, shoes and the like. But then, our daily challenge is to create engaging, emotional pieces. For us, the future is not about making more bags, but perhaps, more intriguing ones.

What's your motto? God is in the details.



Bea Valdes