Why Independent Brands Are More Expensive

For years, there has been a steady decline of prices for the major retail brands. Basically the main reason why independently made products are more expensive than retail stores comes down to the chain of supply. Here is a video that explains why: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (credits to their show for their intelligent and insightful commentary).

And here’s why our brand is priced slightly higher than most retail items. Most of the revenue goes to funding the hopes and dreams of aspiring women artisans from poor communities.  While we are not claiming to be “better” or morally correct, we believe that helping change the lives of others should start at the grassroots level. Our way of doing that is not producing in volume, but creating pieces made with love and a dedication to skill, in a setting infinitely different from a factory setting; in that our women artisans can do their work from home allowing them to maintain other jobs and take care of their families.

Basically, for those who don’t understand Tagalog, this is the gist of the video:

“In the third Tapat Dapat Update, Champion features the story of PJ Valenciano, the founder and owner of Palamuti, an artisan accessories shop which produces world-class handmade accessories available online. PJ’s mission goes beyond creating unique statement pieces; she also uplifts women from urban poor communities by training them and providing them employment opportunities."

Make a difference with every purchase. 

Shop Handmade at PALAMUTISHOP.COM

Keeping it real.- PJV

Unang Yakap (First Embrace)

As part of Palamuti’s advocacy of promoting the advancement of women in all aspects for the betterment of our society, we took part in the Department of Health’s initiative of Essential Newborn Care (ENC) through the maternal ward of the East Avenue Medical Center.

Last March 2015, we were invited to conduct a three-day workshop for the hospital’s Public Health unit as part of their celebration of women’s month. As we gave the hospital staff and patients a bit of a reprieve from the serious atmosphere exuded by any medical institution, we were in awe at some of the struggles that society faces.

Firstly, there is an average of at least 100 babies from low-income families born everyday, and even though the country is doing the best, through measures and protocol as directed by the ENC to address the issue of infant mortality, the lack of resources manifests itself, quite literally, at the onset of life.

Thus we were happy to donate 100 bonnets to newborn babies, and as we’ve been told, it’s essential for them to have something to cover their heads to prevent the loss of body heat. Our small donations were funded by sales from the mini-art jewelry exhibit graciously hosted by EAMC in their main lobby, which ran parallel to our art workshops. Talented women artisans from all over Metro Manila joined us in displaying creations lovingly made through love, devotion, skill and dedication. 

Learn more about the Unang Yakap Program here. 

Donate Bonnets to East Avenue Medical Center

Email: phu_eamc@yahoo.com 

Public Health Unit- East Avenue Medical Center

Participating Artists & Brands 

Palamuti by PJ Valenciano

Amaya by Kimberly Basa 

Flow by Steph Lopez 

Rated PG by Paola Germar 

Estrellas Manila by Marge Abas 

Moonlight Manila by Silke & Twinkle 

Keeping it real. - PJV 

Healing and Hope with East Avenue Medical Center

In celebration of women’s month last March 2015, Palamuti and our partner artisans held a three-day fashion/art workshop at the EAST AVENUE MEDICAL CENTER. Located in the very heart of Quezon City, Philippines, this general hospital is mandated by the Philippine Department of Health with a primary goal of providing quality medical care and treatment to patients in need, irrespective of their socio-economic status and religious creed.

EAMC provides training programs complete with materials and facilities aimed at providing medical and non-medical staff with opportunities for development, competency, and capacity building. With this credo, the hospital has continued to achieve its primary goal of delivering quality health care services for its patients.

In line with the hospital’s incentive of becoming a primary training and teaching center, the first day of the workshop was a benchmark for Palamuti. Two Palamuti artisans from low-income rural communities handled the session on basic handmade accessory making. Novie Katimpo from Ilocos Norte and Lyn-Lyn Rotamola from Eastern Samar were once beginners, and being able to teach a group showed just how much their skills have progressed. Their “students” were comprised of medical fellows, patients, and others who signed for the workshop upon finding out about it during their hospital visit. The first day session lasted for three hours, in which the participants expressed their creativity with their hands by making necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with basic wire looping.

For the following days, we had basic fashion illustration, conducted by painter Nikki Ocean, and basic wire-art, by Flow designer and sculptor,Steph Lopez. We’ll be discussing them on another blog post. All in all, the event was a success, and we’d like to be participate in more of the hospitals incentive of using creative outlets as a form of healing and hope.

Keeping it real. - PJV 

Bead Embroidery at its Finest

Embroidery is an art form that has existed since the 5^th century BC. It has stemmed from early civilization’s practical use of the needle and thread as a means to tailor and repair clothes, into creating elaborate patterns meant to decorate or embellish. Embroidery fits the bill of the cliché statement, “woven in the very fabric of society”, as there have relatively been no significant changes to the materials and techniques used in this art form. In fact, it has been found that early works of embroidery have set high standards of technical skill and craftsmanship rarely seen in modern times.

The culture of embroidery in the Philippines is a fine example of this. Dating back to an indigenous time period, designs native to the Philippines are being lost due to the lack of practitioners in this hand made craft. With the advent of modernity, machines, and fast-paced consumerism, the time-honored tradition of handing down techniques from generation to generation has reached a point where there are too few to teach and even fewer to willing learn.

Pinangga is an association of women homeworkers, teachers, and artists striving to preserve traditional Philippine designs. Established in 1979 by a University of the Philippines professor and artist, they continue to skillfully embroider tops, skirts, linens, and other apparels, with homeworkers from urban poor communities. Pinangga is now proudly managed by one of its original workers.  

Pinangga Bead Embroidery Scarves will soon be available at PALAMUTISHOP.COM

Keeping it real.- PJV 

Art in the City: An Informal Approach to Hope & Beauty

Teaching is passing along knowledge to others

We love holding accessory making workshops. The gathering of people to learn or pass down knowledge and skill is a meaningful lesson for one’s soul.  For the beginning of this year, we were fortunate to receive gracious invitations to conduct workshops to share our particular medium of art: handmade costume jewelry and accessories, by individuals and institutions. 

Palamuti Artisan Novie Gaye Katimpo is from a remote rural province. Now she designs and teaches art in the form of handmade accessories 

The first of which was made possible through the initiative of our good friend Joy Mendiola, writer for the blog “Occasions of Joy”, she organized a group of young elementary school boys and girls for a three-part seminar entitled “The Joy in Arts and Crafts” as part of celebrating the fifth year anniversary of her blog. It was held at Aquinas School, San Juan , an exclusive school for boys founded by Spanish Dominican priests in 1965.  The second invitation to conduct a similar event came from the Women’s Public Health Unit of East Avenue Medical Center . The hospital was established in 1979 by the infamous president/dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It stands today with a mandate entrusted by the Department of Health to provide accessible healthcare services and to advance the degree of medical training, knowledge, and practice of health care professionals in service to the Filipino people. 

Visual Artist (Painter) Nikki Ocean teaches "Basic Fashion Illustration" 

Steph Lopez is a visual artist (sculpture) by trade. Her works have been featured in leading art galleries in the Philippines.

Both these places can be considered “serious places”. In one, young and impressionable minds are being incubated to become better equipped to make life-changing decisions, while in the other, the very lives of people are negotiated on a daily basis through a clockwork cycle of diagnosis, treatment, and research. You cannot blame anyone for thinking that art has no place in such planes of human existence. 

Participants from the Public Health Unit take in Wire Art lessons.

"To teach is to learn twice over."

Though art is traditionally not attributed equal scholarly reverence as rigorous disciplines such as mathematics, science, and language, its value is integral to the formative effect running deep in the veins of civilization.  The arts greatly influence culture, and culture greatly influences our society. It is a form of expression through a medium in which others can view, hear, and experience others’ thoughts and emotions. If academic and medical institutions provide pillars and foundations the nation, then art and culture serve as the essence a nation’s soul.    

We are thankful for the gift of art, teaching, and learning.

Art’s greatest medium is hope. What good are bright minds if they are selfish and cannot see needs beyond their own? What good does providing the best medical treatment do if only a few can do so? Hope is the theme that binds people, places, ideas, institutions, and generations. Through our handmade accessory-making workshops, we are adding our drop-in-the-sea to art, and through art, we are making an indirect contribution to hope.

Keeping it real.- PJV

A “Berry” Happy Birthday

A "Berry" Themed Birthday Party hosted by Tina at Silk Road Thai Restaurant and Wine Bistro at Bonifacio Global City for her friends. She wore the clustered flowers which we customized for her last year.
*Photo grabbed from Tina Ortiz 

Tales of Tina’s themed birthday celebrations were regarded in tales as being fun, elaborate shindigs. Last year for example, to celebrate her birthday, she had an all-hat event where all of Tina’s friends wore (and took home) hat fascinators as souvenirs. For this year, Tina surprised her friends yet again by holding a “Berry-inspired" celebration. Guests were asked to wear tops and dresses based on the berry color range, which are: pinks, reds and purples. We at Palamuti had the chance to be a part of this celebration. As souvenirs, she gave her guests a short necklace with stone pendants by partner brand Amaya, and long necklaces with berry pendants from Palamuti. 

Artisan Cake by Sweet Bakes by Rosey! Check out the intricate detail. Decorating a cake is its own unique art. 

Tina has been our client since 2013 through the referral of a friend and business partner, but I wasn't able to meet her personally until the end of 2014.  In our previous article about Tina, I mentioned how every designer would love to have her as a client because her jewelry concepts are challenging projects for any artisan and designer. For myself, I needed to allot a lot of time and effort in designing and executing her fashion-art ideas. More than that, her choice of artistic handmade accessories show not only her love for fashion, but her appreciation for the high level of artistry put into wearable art pieces. We  decided to name a collection after her, as I was honored and thrilled to design for her. To be invited to her birthday celebration was an added bonus, something that I really never expected, since technically I've only met her once. 

Berry Themed Short Necklaces from Amaya were given as souvenirs for the guests. 

The exciting part of her party was showcasing and sharing her Palamuti Collection, which she acquired over the years, to her friends as part of her themed celebration. I was stunned when I realized that she had collected drawers upon drawers of necklaces and scarves, which she let her guests wear during the gathering. Personally, I was touched with the fact that she kept them all these years, with some items lovingly preserved in their original packaging. 

Tina's friends from Ateneo wearing her Palamuti Tina Zitro Collection.
*Photo grabbed from Tina Ortiz 

Ladies with roses!
*Photo grabbed from Tina Ortiz 

Memories of all my previous designs came flooding back into my head. In every piece I design and create, I pour my soul into it. It's my form of meditation, prayer and giving thanks to the universe. I firmly believe that through my work, I share my story as an artist through others who appreciate my kind of art. I was in awe, and my heart was singing with respect for this woman who saw our handmade necklaces and scarves not just a commodity, but treasured items worthy of collecting. 

Tina with her colleagues from Globe Telecom.
*Photo grabbed from Tina Ortiz

GPS women have a grand time. Look at those smiles. I don't think you can fake those.
*Photo grabbed from Tina Ortiz

As her guests came, I got to see this high-functioning, goal-driven woman in action. She greeted everyone with the same energy, from the first guest that arrived up until the last one. She was all smiles--- going around and connecting with all her guests. It was heartening to witness her close friends, work colleagues and subordinates, with Tina valuing each and everyone's presence, regardless of being a boss or employee, until the crowd trickled down and it was time to call it a day. Surely, everyone had a great time, like I did, leaving a more inspired person. Tina is an empowered woman of taste and style, a storyteller, traveller, and compassionate person who people look up to. For myself, she is more than just a client, but a muse that sheds inspiration to other women like myself. 

"BERRY MOMENTS" 

Paparazzi moment! Tina poses with her fellow executive.
Apart from Palamuti, Tina adores her artisan bag by Rated Paola. 

I truly love this stolen shot! Sherrie's son admires the peacock inspired necklace
she was wearing during the lunch party. 

We love how she paired the bead embroidery statement necklace with a long one.
If her pretty face looks familiar, it's because she's Globe Telecom's in house model as well. 

Another stolen shot with this beauty! I couldn't help myself admiring how
Tina's clustered flowers complemented her berry red top. 

As much as I tried to take a stolen shot, she knows when it's coming! 

Finally, I got to meet you Liezel.
And someone's in love with Rated Paola's artisan bags! 

Kim discuses our Kiss by the Berry Queen Collection with a colleague.

Irah has been coaxing Tina to give the necklace she was wearing at the party
as gift for her. 

Tina's friend from St. Scholastica's College wore her Berry Necklace.

Our mini "gallery" of Tina Zitro Collection. 

I so remember that necklace from last year's Spring Collection! 

Kim adds a scarf necklace to her ensemble. 

Early birds! 

Sharon is not into statement costume jewelry  but Tina's clustered
butterfly necklace fitted her whole ensemble that day. 

The original Mayumi necklace worn by Stephanie, Tina's friend from
St. Scholastica's College. The necklace was given as a gift by Kim years back. 

Bring out your smart phones and click away! 

Spotted! That's our Spring Lady Necklace. 

Stylist for the day? I really had fun with Kim looking for
necklaces that will fit the guest's wardrobe.

P.S. As our way of saying thanks, I have designed a new collection inspired by her birthday celebration theme. As a way of showing our appreciation for her continued support, we have created the "Kiss by the Berry Queen Collection" as part of the Tina Zitro Collection wherein percentage of the sales will go to her chosen charity; the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). We believe in supporting our client's advocacy and passion as much as they have shown for ours. 

Kiss by the Berry Queen Collection 

Our mini display of Tina Zitro Collection 

Indeed it was a "berry" happy birthday. :) 

Keeping it real. -PJV