Style & Sensibilities by Kim Basa, Amaya Accents

Beauty and grace are traits that are innate to every woman. How one carries herself radiates one's individuality. A woman's choice of clothes, shoes, and accessories speaks volumes about her personality, and also strongly conveys her uniqueness from others. 

My personal aesthetics lean towards classic, minimalist and bold.I stick to this baseline when trying to cross elements of design when I feel like experimenting. However, there is one definite fashion statement that will not be missed out: the statement necklace! I believe and feel that wearing something different and unique can spruce up my ensemble

I think it goes with the fact that I used to be shy and timid, It took me a lot of guts to wear something so bold during the first time. Yet I felt strongly about wearing something connected to my personality, so I went for it. Ss I found my way out of my shell, I started to gain confidence to uncloak a new version of me; a new and improved version.

When my friends and I plan a gathering, we think of a theme of what everyone gets to wear. For October, which is my birthday month, we chose black themed attire accompanied by a statement necklace. Since it's going to be a dinner with other friends celebrating my birthday, a statement necklace was included as part of the theme, because it's something that speaks about me. In preparation, I considered having a customised piece, which I designed myself.  I chose a flower design with  a touch of red to break the black and white combination. I loved how this complemented my black and white outfit. You see, the look that I was able to create was about me, myself and I. I purposely didn't try to imitate a style icon, as I believe that it will go against who I am. 

In essence,personal style, for me, is being myself. I believe I can never go wrong with that. 

ABOUT THE ARTIST-ENTREPRENEUR  

Kim started Amaya due to her fondness in accessorizing with the use of uniquely handcrafted necklaces.  It started when she got pregnant with her second child, a girl, who she wanted to share her affinity and passion for dressing up. Encouraged by the thought of realizing a dream, she named her brand of unique handmade accessories after her daughter, Amaya. As she continues to pursuing this vision of providing unique handcrafted accessories to moms like her, who share the same love for handmade accessories, she’s thankful that she found the wisdom and inspiration, despite the many challenges facing entrepreneurs and artists, through one significant life event --- being a mother to a daughter named Amaya.

What we love most with Amaya Accents' handmade pieces is the simple functionality of the design. If you are the type who's looking for classic, casual wearable pieces, we recommend Amaya's Daily Wear Necklaces. Drop by and show your support for Filipino Independent Artists at the American Bead Shows this coming October 25-26 in Louisville, Kentucky.

A Mother's Vision: Kalinga by Amaya

"I dedicate this collection to all Moms like me, most especially to my mom who have unselfishly and lovingly raised me and my siblings the best way she could." - Kim, Amaya 

Working and partnering with entrepreneurs and businesses who share in our vision is a very important part of what we do. Being open with ideas, and sharing knowledge in design, is a good way to keep improving our skills. As artisans, we are always open to creative feedback, criticism, and suggestions to make our products better. Consistently working with projects that challenge us, allows us to continue expressing our love for fashion and art, through handmade bead embroidery.   

We believe that in growing a social enterprise, it is a key too to build relationships, not only with the artisans, but with fashion buyers such as Kim, owner of Amaya. Their trust in our capacity to design concepts stemming from their ideas. The quality of the products we provide, as well as their unique style, are the building blocks for our relationship. Kim understands the nature of designing; that the creative aspect is closely tied to the production process of handcrafted bead embroidery statement pieces. They give us the freedom to express ourselves artistically, at the same time, keeping a firm grasp of the standards and aesthetics that her clientele expects from their customised accessories. We want to grow our business along with entrepreneurs who value the painstaking art of creating by hand, because it results in beautiful artistic creations; instead of opting to sell watered down versions made with a half-hearted effort.  

The Kalinga Collection was born from Kim's ideas conceptualised based on her own personal aesthetics. Our role as designers and artisans, was simply to provide her with options on how to execute those ideas, and to turn them into unique handmade bead jewellery necklaces. For this collection, she was inspired by the orchid and the many significances the flower holds over a diverse number of cultures. The orchid is a symbol of love, luxury, beauty and perfection, but what attracted her the most was its ties to feminine beauty. 

As a mother herself, Kim knows that the joy that of bringing forth new life, and nurturing them to become individuals in their own right, can be attributed to her own personal experience being raised by a warm, loving woman. Strength, beauty, and grace are qualities that any mother must imbue to her children if she expects them to thrive as people of substance, especially in a world that places value on the superficial. Thus, she dedicates this collection to all women who know the that the weight of responsibilities  placed on a mother's shoulders is well worth the effort, if you love someone unconditionally. 

Amaya by Kim Basa is one of our featured artists. We will be showcasing some of their daily handmade pieces at the Second Sunday in Main in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 10, 2014. Drop by and support Independent Filipino Artists. 

Keeping it real.- PJV

Timeless Pieces and Rainy Day Fashion

While it's summer in other parts of the world, here in the Philippines, where our main production site is located, we are now experiencing the rainy season. During these months, the archipelago shifts from it's warm, sunny, and dry climate into the wet season. In addition to the yearly monsoon, the Philippines expects a steady stream of tropical storms and typhoons consisting of heavy rain and strong winds. 

"It's a gloomy Tuesday! I took advantage of the weather by wearing my favorite embellished scarf over a simple white tunic top then grabbed a blazer to keep me warm. I want it to be casual so I completed the ensemble by wearing my fave blue jeans, then I picked my open toe heels to complete my outfit for the day."- Kim Basa, Amaya 

And so our style advocate, and proud owner of Amaya , took the wet weather as an advantage to wear her favorite embellished scarves from Palamuti. Though the Philippines is considered as a hot and humid climate, when the wind and rain arrives in force, people still experience the cold because the country gets drenched. 

As a working mom who works in a corporate office,  Kim's sense of style generally revolves around her everyday office attires. Her choice of ensemble springs from her fashion intuition and love for dressing up. She keeps a collection of staple outfits in-hand, while adding a twist, by incorporating carefully selected accessories. Styling is also another form of creativity, and she uses her sense of style to give life to her rainy day outfits; while most simply cope with another tedious day of pouring rain. Draping an original, handmade scarf around her neck during these days shows her ability to balance fashion intuition and practical use. 

As such, Amaya and Palamuti have teamed up in creating new and exciting scarf necklaces. We can't wait to see the outcome of this partnership with Kim. We are privileged to be working with someone who has so many wonderful ideas on how to elevate a simple scarf to a unique, one-of-a-kind piece that every woman should have. 

CUSTOM MADE: AMAYA NECKLACE

We designed this necklace for our Style Advocate, Kim Basa. Before becoming a Style Advocate, Kim was one of our loyal clients and one of the first people who expressed interest in partnering with Palamuti by becoming a reseller. 

When we customize pieces for clients, we take the time to get to know them. We see our designs as an extension of their personalities, and not just mere accessories that can be bought off the mill. This necklace is named after her daughter, Amaya. 


“Palamuti reveals my own individuality. I don't have to mimic a celebrity's personal style; I can craft my own genuine style that speaks all about me. “ – Kim Basa, Palamuti Style Advocate  

P.S. Kim is not just our style advocate, but a fellow artist and entrepreneur as well. She has recently launced her own brand, Amaya. Here are some of Amaya's beautiful collections, which you will soon see on our Facebook Fan Page. 

ABOUT AMAYA ACCENTS 

Amaya Accents offers accessories uniquely crafted for working Moms who love expressing themselves distinctively with fashion accessories.

Like Amaya on Facebook