Heads to the floor, for Janice Minor.

This, my friends, is the art of "making do".

Taking photos for the blog using my iphone and a mirror. 

Perhaps I loved the mirrors too much.. or perhaps I was too flattered that our ceo commented that I had great taste in fashion. Hahaha. I'm so not modest right now. Forgive me but it felt like a medal. I'm a huge fan of his well-educated taste! He believes that when you're tasteful bout dressing yourself up, you're most likely the same about the physical aspects of furniture design. He believes that fashion sets the bar for trends in the furniture and accessory world. 

When there's a need to dress corporately and ready for some factory/ site action I throw on soft pants. Oxblood was my easy choice. I paired it with a loose navy blue, oversized, tribal top because I'm a fan of a deep tone on deep tone combination when I want to wear bolder colors. Green and blue low heels to counter the laziness of my top adding a little polished feel. Not to mention, the hint of green will make the blue-red ensemble more interesting. No inecessary accessories, no fuss.. utmost comfort, ultimate performance!  It' s always a fun challenge to look corporate and respectable whilst keeping it extremely functional, fashion- forward, young, and not trying too hard! They key is to play with patterns, prints, textures or color schemes to make it interesting yet polished. Never get to crazy, never scream for attention. :)

That's me taking a coffee break after the looong day of showroom and factory field-tripping.

Pretty right? HAHA.

So we took this client to a "shopping spree" at Janice Minor for things they could import and resell back in their country. We booked an appointment and  it was going to be my first time to be at their main showroom-cum-factory in Mactan. 

Allow me to take you through a quick tour. This isn't a paid ad or a promotion. In fact, we really aren't allowed to take photos in a designer's showroom so I'll just share a few. You may book an appointment with them to see the pieces in the flesh. Or catch them in one of the furniture and home accessory shows like Manila Fame and Philconstruct! :)

It's well tucked in a residential area without landmarks and with lots of bump in the road.. as most furniture and accessory factories here in Cebu. We stepped in and I was astounded step upon step, I'm not even exaggerating.  I was entranced by the mystique, artistry, and dark charm the place had. I've been to other factories and showrooms in Cebu and believe me when I say, Janice Minor is one company that is very consistent with their branding.. very sure about its aesthetics and personal identity ... the kind that does not conform but rather draws you in and convinces you of its unique beauty and makes you a believer. 

Moorish lamps have a special place in my heart! 

 Curious items like these.

 Love these lamps that have clear glass bottles of different shapes as base. :)

 Mystique chandeliers and tea light holders.

We saw this mirror frame actually being hand-made, hand-painted. It was pretty awesome. Reminds me of an Indian head dress or an African forest.

 I fancy tables with rustic-finished metal legs and roughly-cut wood or stone as top.. they're industrial and natural at the same time. Also, notice the vintage globes reminiscent of old english libraries and ships

A skull. How creepy, bad-ass and brilliant all at the same time! 

Globe made of galvanized iron

 Mirrors that make great decors for bare walls

 Again, clear glass. Can't help but connect this with the current fashion fad on acrylic clutches and plexi-glass heels :)

And of course, one of the things Janice Minor is very popular about.. ox heads!! They come in different shapes and sizes. It looks gothy at first but when placed in the right set, it can be the perfect, modern, statement accessory! Lady gaga will love this place. ;)

So there! I've always been able to pass by the old Janice Minor showroom along Talamban but when I made it to their main showroom, just like my client who ended up splurging more than I've probably spent in my entire lifetime, I was instantly made a fan. Hands and head to the ground in prostrate. With the display of artistry, matched with the mood and lighting, you will not walk out of the showroom the same. Janice Minor is no less than an artisan extraordinaire. Check out their site here.

What do you think about more design- related posts on this blog? :)

**Pants: Night market in Baguio** Top: Blind Clohing** Shoes: Ichigo 

A-LIST: BLINDxx Creations SS13 (Official Lookbook)

If you read my last post, I'm sure you had this coming. Last week had been a very exciting week for us at local, online indie brand, Blind Clothing. We have just released our cut-and-sew line's spring-summer collection entitled: The A-List.  Hurray!! :)

The whole time we were developing this collection, we had the sophisticated, sexy, smart, confident, woman  in mind.  We were so happy that in the shooting of our look book---our model portrayed this so well. She really looked (and acted?) the part; a huge transformation from when we last shot her for in our A|W 2013 collection. Our HMUA and photographers also did an equally great job in bringing out out that "slightly spoiled young aristocrat" vibe (whilst making sure the clothes shine through) throughout the look book in consistent great quality. I'm always amazed at how a team of left-brained people can come in unison and create something beautiful and cohesive.  It's overwhelming (humbling even) being able to collaborate again with such talents, who, with their excellence in each of their fields, are able to bend a little and be good team players to meet your vision/ direction  :) 


Ladies and gents, may our team present to you,
Blind Creations S|S 2013:
The A-List.

We know that the whole fashion world is celebrating summer like it is in the other side of the world, while it's starting to rain here in the Philippines. So we at BLINDxx tried to bring you the best of both worlds. I mean honestly, who's over midriff tops? :)) So we give you fitted midriff tops in sets that come in thick, textured material. We made  semi- silky slip dresses and slit skirts so you have the perfect inner wear to match your bombers and blazers with, or pair  your sweaters with, and still look sexy.  These are pieces that are friendly but luxurious enough to take you from day to night-- from shopping with the girls to a big dinner party-- something you can wear out on a hot day, or layer with on a cold day (atleast in the tropics). 

This is a collection mainly pegged on chic luxe. With the influx of mass produced clothes coming into the market, this collection craves for:  good clothing structure and construction, and the subtle sexiness and elegance that understated but flattering shape and proportion gives the female body. It is a celebration of good print palettes, rich textures, and  sophisticated cuts.  

Good news is, we are now open for orders.

Shop our latest collection here. Enjoy! :) 

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Photographers: Dexter and Shanida Maneja

Model: Christine Morrill

HMUA: James Kenneth Canete

Styling, Creative Direction: Yours truly with Ninz Sy

All clothes by: Blind Clothing

With special thanks to:

The Chillage Urban Zone (location)
Buddy

Swing

Thanks again to the team! x

This is not a fashion blog.

No clothes. No OOTD's. Weird Title. Why.

Okay, how do I say this without boring you?  :))

This is not a fashion blog. Or atleast not just. When I put up this blog up as a fresh grad I made it clear to myself that I was running a design and fashion blog. It's not just a personal style archive but also a blog about multidisciplinary design, the areas of design that I'm particularly interested in. Infact, some of my earlier posts seriously reflected this. Like this and this. It was almost boring for those who are here for a light read and pretty pictures. I lost track months after graduation. Having broken away from 5years of bitter-sweet architorture and getting to wear something other than a uniform and run Blind Clothing, slowly gaining wonderful like-minded friends and a couple of supportive readers, I found sudden freedom in doing what I've always liked as a kid, and I just ran around the fashion circle like a mad man. In heels.

After having sworn to the architecture profession  last march, the conviction slowly (but harshly) started setting in and I've been feeling a hunger to use my 5-year education to do more. To give more. To be more.

This blog should be, more than anything, a reflection of that. I've been doubtful that I'd lose readers and interaction when I stay true to this blog's nature, especially when the writing gets lengthy like this one. Design is, face it, not as "relatable" as fashion. But then I thought, what good is a blog if I can't speak my own mind through it, right? :) 

 

So this is what I've been up to lately. Being a 3month-old architect, I've trying to set up my own private practice and thinking day and night about-- how to do that exactly; the name of my office, the design principles it should stand by, the things I should advocate for, how to gain momentum, the means to make it work etc.. that alongside listening to audio-books about financial management and e-books about professional practice. It is overwhelming and frightening. but it's also just as exciting. and nerve-racking. Those above are some of my works on product development, furniture contracts for a client.

Some of my favorites from our shipments.
(Not my design)

 Same framing system,  played up with a variety of weaving patterns made to compliment the cafe its intended for :)
(Not my design)

While trying to initiate my private practice and scout out projects I thought it would be wise to accept this gracious offer, this blessing, and do furniture design and product development.. to learn international standard, educate my taste, learn more about materials. After all, I am hoping to specialize in residential and hospitality design someday. By hospitality I mean hotel, resort, spa, retail, restaurants, bars and cafes. :)

So this is me now, what I do, and what my blog is all about. What do you think? Please say I'm not a hopeless case. :)) Do you know of any other design blogs out there? Hook me up! :)

x

Dawn


*** All photos of the pieces in this post are no longger my/our intellectual property but for the client  we work for ***

PUTTING HEART INTO THE ART: A Rights Based Barrier Free Community

Last July, I got an email from Lantawan Magazine's editor- in-chief, Archt. Bela Lanyi, SVD telling me that University Of San Carlos' Department of Languages is asking if they can publish an article I wrote 2 years ago (with Eugene yaoto) in an English text book. I said no.  KIDDING. WHAT AM I CRAZY? :)) Of course I said yes, I was so happy I ran straight to my parents room to proclaim the good news. Haha. I'm honored and hyped that a lot more students will get to read this article that I poured my soul into. Thank You, Lord. :) 


This article is about Designing for Persons with disabilities.  So here I am, sharing it with all of you. Some may find it candid, some naive, some just plain idealistic. But here's a piece of my heart that goes out to our  brothers and sisters who are physically deprived :)

(Thanks to Sam Despi, our beautiful layout artist, for sending me a copy of this article again. haha. You the best Sammie! :D )

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2010 Cover

Like a paper tiger, the bahay kubo bravely folds out of the void, as if to challenge the sterotypes of native Filipino aesthetic as one of "horror vacui" or fear of empty spaces. In fact, its utter simplicity has more in common with Zen or modernist design, proof once again that distaste for clutter knows no borders.

Putting Heart into the Art

An advocacy for a Rights Based Barrier Free Community for Persons with Disabilities

By: Kathrynn Dawn Sy and Eugene Laurence Yaoto

Imagine traveling the world in alacrity, boldly breaking borders and discovering fresh ideas, reaching dreams and enjoying undisclosed havens. You’re just thrilled and thriving.

Then suddenly, you glance through a mirror, see a missing arm, discover an immobile pair of legs, a hearing aid,even ablurry reflection.The idea hits you—it’s not as easy as it seems.

Our ancestors found ways to reach far-flung places by building bridges, be it in the form of land bridges or boats. They discovered faster means of mobility shortly after.  But somewhere between the past and the present, along the highway towards urbanism and development, access became a problem. Ironically.

July ___,  2009. To our surprise, design class was cancelled. We heard it over the speakers.We had to be at the CAFA theatre to attend a talk about “People-Friendly Environments for an Inclusive Rights-Based Barrier Free Community for Persons with Disabilities(PWD).” Half curious and half skeptical, we went inside to check what it was about  with, frankly, an intention to make our exit and carry on with our design plate twenty minutes after.

We went inside and saw a slide onscreen but no one onstage. We scanned the place for a new face, a prospective speaker, and we beheld an intelligent and kind-looking woman in a wheelchair. She was Ms. Adela Kono, Vice-Chair of the Accessibility Monitoring Committee. Having spent half of her lifetime in a wheel chair, she’s an active accessibility specialist who believes in the worldwide disability movement’s motto:“Nothing about us without us.” To make the long story short, our skepticism, which continued on through halfway of her presentation,was slowly replaced by a burden. We found ourselves hanging on to the lady’s every word and every slide. Yes, we finished her presentation.

Building communities is a great honor bestowed on creators such as architects, engineers, and designers. Along with this is a sense of accountability for the safety and well-being of the inhabitants of our built environment, safety most especially for those who are already physically deprived.

Having been introduced to Batasang Pambansa 344 or the “Accessibility Law”  in our Professional Practice class, we were already aware of disabled persons’ needs and demands in so far as the practice of architecture is concerned.However, it wasn’t until that afternoon that we came to know how pressing and necessary it is to strictly yield to these demands and shed off little compromises as designers. We didn’t realize how strenuous and dangerous these small compromises are for PWDs until we actually heard it from them, elaborated and demonstrated down to the details.

 We have noticed that a lot of times, when designing structures with very limited areas, architects tend to shorten PWD entrance ramps, increasing the slope andmaking it difficult to access, lessen the toilet space, and forget about all the short access ramps that take PWDs from one storey/elevation/space to another.  Perhaps the reason that owners are hesitant to yield to these needs is that it takes a good deal of marketable space. Space, after all, is money.  Plus, it is not very aesthetically enhancing. But what is form, or in this case economics, without functionality?

To be honest, their needs are nothing too expensive, nothing hi-tech, nothing rocket-science. Their needs, however, still demand a lot of space and close attention for logistics: foot space, positioning of grab bars, distances and clearances to the .05m, height of switches and outlets, furniture and fixtures, parking spaces. It’s all just a matter of human rights, of putting heart into the art.

How can we think of comfort for usual people and not think of comfort for those who need it more? We truly need humane designers who will pay attention to the PWD’s most pressing needs and give some empathy in the service we call architecture, a call for relearning, an appeal for concerned professionals to put their knowledge in application.

Buildings are made for people, not the other way around.

That’s basic. Well, supposedly.

If designers were more humanitarian, more sensitive to the needs of others, then organizations such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities need not exist.

Disability is not a deficiency. It is a consequence. “It results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” (UNCRPD).

So you think your building is PWD-friendly? Below is a checklist, ten ways of checking if your building is barrier-free and universally accessible. Go over it. Pin it to your cork board. Attach it to your organizers. Whatever it takes. 

Be honest! 

(Checklist attached here, To see the chart checklist, get yourself a copy of the Lantawan Magazine 2010 back issue! :D )

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Thanks again, Bro Bela for allowing me to write, Eugene for encouraging me to join, And Mrs Kono, our resource person.


To everyone from CAFA, you'd be amused to know that this article was cooked at the ACC (archtitecture computer center) one hectic deadline afternoon when the ACC was full! You know what that's like!:)) ) 

Meanwhile, This year's theme is "Nation Building" and I still haven't thought of a topic due one month ago. My brain cells are dead, I think it misses school. Oh no.

Later. :)