GustoKo- Celebrating Filipino Artistry in Lisbon, Portugal

GustoKo is a Philippine store located in Lisbon, Portugal at the Rua da Escola Politecnica which specializes in offering world-class Philippine handcrafted fashion and accessories. Eponymously named after the Filipino phrase “I want”, GustoKo is owned and managed by Paula Mansilla-Figueras, a Filipina based in Portugal, who travels annually to the Philippines to seek elegantly made artisan collections to share the Portuguese market.

As a Filipino, she knows that art is a way of life for many of her countrymen. From indigenous tribes, cooperatives, and individual artists; Filipinos have been weaving, sculpting, carving, and crafting long before Spanish explorers discovered the South East Asian archipelago with more than seven thousand islands. 

The beauty and brains behind GustoKo, Paula Mansilla-Figueras.

With at least 13 indigenous languages spoken by more than 90 million inhabitants, it can be said that Filipinos are not just multilingual; they are nation composed of multiple and varying cultures. For a nation that’s pretty much in the middle of the ocean, the Philippines has been influenced by foreigners ranging from Chinese merchants, migrating kingdoms, European explorers, and modern industrialized nations for millennia. 

Black Widow Art Jewelry by PJ Valenciano on display at GustoKo Store in Lisbon, Portugal. 

With this viewpoint, one can arguably state the Philippines is one of Asia’s first truly global melting pots.  GustoKo aims to promote, uplift, and celebrate the craftsmanship, resourcefulness and creativity of the Filipinos; as well as the richness of its unique culture.  The handcrafted products, meticulously selected by Paula in her many travels to different parts of the Philippines, show the different experiences of each artisan.  

For people who are enticed by the elegance of Philippine indigenous and local materials, GustoKo’s handcrafted items are an ideal present for any occasion.

Photos by GustoKo

Address: Rua da Escola Politecnica 42, 1250-102 Lisbon, Portugal

Hours: (Monday to Sunday) 12:00-8:00 pm

GustoKo

Shop GustoKo Products 

Keeping real.- PJV

Art of Expression: Schets Bazaar

A weekend of arts, music, food and crafts at Schets Bazaar

Musicians and artisans will be coming together this weekend at Taas Café (Masunurin St. Anonas Extension Sikatuna, Quezon City). Bands such as Pie, Blazing Bulalakaw, The Charmes, Lamb Street, Rusty Machines, and many more, will be performing from 4 in the afternoon to 12 midnight.

The Schet’s Bazaar group, an artists’ community on Facebook, organized this event.  They are a community comprised of lovers of art, music, tattoos, and random finds. If you’re the type of person who’s into these artistic pursuits, you should definitely drop by the Sikatuna Area this weekend. Admission is free!

The word “Schets” is of Dutch origin, and it means “to sketch”. Many visual artists will also be at this mini art-and-music festival, and they will be featuring some of their most expressive creations.  So come for great music, great food, and great art!

Keeping it real.- PJV 

The Art in Making: Flow by Steph Lopez

"For some time, I have been quite interested in learning how to make accessories. But I never really found the time and will to do so until the second half of 2012." - Steph Lopez, Flow

Our head designer, PJ Valenciano, met Steph Lopez during their teenage years as part of  the Philippine Educational Theater Association's youth arm, MTTL (Metropolitan Teen Theater League). She was drawn to Steph because of  their love for art. It's no surprise that a few years later, Steph and PJ crossed paths away from the stage, as both of them were brought together by their love for costume jewelry. 

PINTO ART MUSEUM, ANTIPOLO

""In 2006, I quit my full to job to pursue art full time. I tried doing corporate work again in 2011, only to leave in the summer of the following year, as I realized I could no longer keep with the pace of corporate life, and that's not where my heart really was. I took trips near the sea, contemplated on my career path, and decided that if I were to take on another kind of work, it must be centered on what I really love - art making"" 

Steph Lopez is the designer/artist behind Flow Crafts and Jewelry. She pursued a career in visual arts, specializing in sculpture. But tough times made this a less than viable career choice, as being an artisan was not financially rewarding. After a few years of doing freelance writing, she decided to take a full-time corporate job to support her art. However, a sense of fulfillment eluded her. After resigning from an advertising position, she decided to travel all over the Philippines in hopes of finding inspiration and enlightened to fuel her foremost passion -which she coined as- "art making". 

Her experience working in an office setting made her wiser to the financial side of creating costume jewelry. She knew that she needed to expand her skills and knowledge in order to make her creations stand out. Her background in sculpting gave her an additional skill set, to which she infused  into her own brand of handmade jewelry.  As it turned out, she lives out her passion by making it a point to learn new things whenever she makes jewelry.  Aside from earning an income from a craft she once set aside, she finally found a creative outlet for her love of art and fashion. By losing herself to the demands of the material world, she found her way back, and continues to create beautiful pieces with a touch of her personality imbued into every single work of art. 

Flow by Steph Lopez is one of our featured artists. We will be showcasing some of her 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

Seeds of Hope: Handmade Accessories Training Workshop

The “Sampaguita” inspired mother and daughter necklaces was made by a collaborative effort between two participants from Barangay Masagana: Lila and RJ. 

Lila, aged 10, is home schooled by her parents. She wanted to join the workshop, together with her mother, because she was eager to learn our style of handcrafting. We allowed her to join the group because we saw the excitement in her eyes upon seeing an array of colorful beads right in front of her. The “Sampaguita” necklace is her first project, and  although it took her a week to finish, she accomplished it with pride. The seeds of a new found interest in creating handmade art was also able to bloom. According to her mother, Lila continues to design new pieces inspired by the local flora in El Nido. Her latest design concepts are: “Wildflower” and “Basil Leaves”.

 

"BASILIA- Basil Leaves"

"I want to try new experiences. I enjoy beading because it fascinates me to visualize and create a beautiful handmade design from simple beads, thread, and fabrics"- Buwan Lila

RJ on the other hand, was the only male participant in our bead embroidery training workshop. He is an 18 year old out-of-school youth.  He accomplished the daughter part of “Sampaguita” necklace, which is his second beadwork project. And although he joined the workshop to pass the time, while awaiting summons from his employers in Aborlan, Palawan, he shows the potential to grow as an handmade artisan, if he is willing to devote himself to it.

After the 3 week training, we were able to come up with a short list of participants who had the right attitude, and exhibited the skills needed to continue training as bead embroidery artisans. To date, they continue to practice techniques and concepts they've learned from the training. Those who wanted to continue to learn more about handmade bead embroidery, have made designing and beading a part of their daily routine. 

Part of our plan is to go back to El Nido to provide further training for women we've selected from our first batch of participants. We hope that by further increasing their skills and knowledge, they will be able to handle the responsibilities of passing on their knowledge to new participants and the next generations of Filipino women artisans.

We hope that we can be able to continue these workshops by forming partnerships with local businesses.  Several souvenir shops have already offered to carry products made by the mothers we've trained in El Nido. In addition, we will also be selling their handmade creations on our website. As fruits of their labors, six of their designs from the training seminar will be showcased in trade shows in Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio this coming July and August, through our US partner. 

Through these channels, Palamuti hopes to provide an additional source of livelihood for more Filipino women, namely unemployed mothers,and out of school youth.  

Statement Concept Piece: Requiron Necklace

"As a mother, I was never able to develop my artistic side because I had to take care of my family first. As a Palamuti artisan , I am now able to do both; designing and creating while earning income to support my family."- Tes

This necklace was made by Tes Dulce, a native of Bicol, Philippines. She is one of our trained mother- artisans who has been with us for four years.   

Our core technique, bead embroidery, is our greatest strength when it comes to handmade designs. It's best expressed in making concept pieces. As a designer translating concepts to reality is a challenge to creativity and knowledge of techniques and materials. My philosophy in crafting is being able to manage the client's expectations, and at the same time, making the final piece a reflection aesthetics for the client and myself. 

Throughout the years we have made quite a number of concept pieces. As a philosophy, we only make one of each design. This is primarily due to the difficult task of beading and hand stitching. Once these products are sold, we mark them for customization, and new clients can purchase these statement pieces on a made-to-order basis. 

The decision of making only a singular piece for each design concerns both the business aspect, and more importantly, the creative process for every artisan. Every handmade artisan should be bound into making quality pieces, rather than prioritizing quantity. We want our clients to respect and appreciate the process of making these wearable art pieces, so that every stitching of cut or seed beads into the felt cloth truly is a soulful experience both for the designer and the beader. 

The "Requiron" necklace was designed in 2012. We made two versions of this necklace, each time improving the techniques and use of materials. Thus no two pieces are ever the same. The core design of the original piece is there to influence, but fusing elements of techniques and material knowledge, changes the look of the design. 

After a year, we decided to make another one. By using new materials, we were able to improve the beauty of this necklace, whose story will continue to be passed on to the wearer of our ever-evolving handcrafted designs. 

Filipino Style Advocate: Cayetano Legacy Collection

Palamuti  is a proud supplier for Cayetano Legacy Collection. We hold similar views, in which the Filipino artist can proudly display their creations globally. We recently provided them with several handmade statement necklaces, designed and crafted by Filipino women artisans trained by Palamuti.

Cayetano Legacy Collection was founded by three first generation Filipino American sisters. After recognizing a need for women’s jewelry and handbags, showcasing beautifully sourced materials from the Philippines, they wanted to bring worldwide attention to the beautiful handcrafted creations coming from their native country, while also giving back to the nation that has given them their heritage.

As a bi-coastal fashion lifestyle company, providing classic designs of women's accessories in a modern setting, they actively support Filipino programs that train its citizens to source and manufacture these products.  They are very active in promoting and selling these products through their website, cayetanolegacy.com, and in trunk shows in various parts of the United States.

Among the designs they have chosen to include in their next collection are our Pangarap ni Esperanza, Bastet in Brown and Aurora. All of these necklaces show our artisans' command of beading, primarily using cut and seed beads.

                   


It is through companies, like Cayetano Legacy Collection Inc. who believe, not only in our products but the stories behind them, that keeps us doing what we love to do: creating stories of beauty and empowerment through handcrafted jewelry.

Here are some of Cayetano Legacy Collection’s upcoming events from July to September 2014:  

July

7/1 - 7/31

7/12

BEAUTIQUE DAY SPA & SALON

Beautique Day Spa & Salon - Rice Village , 

2507 Times Blvd , Houston, TX

August

8/1 - 8/30

MAGPIE NYC

Magpie NYC, 

488 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY

8/9

EXHALE SPA

Exhale Spa - Bridgehampton , 

2415 Main Street, Bridgehampton, NY

8/24

WILD RUFFLE POP-UP

Wild Ruffle Pop Up Market, 

Main Ave, Prior Lake, MN

September

9/13 - 9/14

BLOOMINGDALE’S

Bloomingdale's - SoHo, 

504 Broadway, New York, NY

9/13 - 9/14

BLOOMINGDALE’S

Bloomingdale's - Glendale Galleria, 

103 South Brand Blvd. , Glendale

Palamuti Travel Advisory: El Nido, Philippines

We recently wrote about our trip to El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. One of the main reasons on why we decided to visit was to be able to find talented women artisans willing to share in our vision of creating beautiful handmade pieces. After a three-week training period conducted by one of our in-house designers, the women of El Nido were able to come up with these pieces:

 Some of their handmade creations will be displayed this coming August 2014, at the grand opening of Islandfront's Souvenir Shop! Located at brgy. Corong-corong, El Nido, the resort features affordable beachfront rooms at one of the most beautiful beach locations in Southeast Asia.

For their next lesson, our artisans based in El Nido will be sent these sketches as a teaching guide for their next bead embroidered pieces: