LITTLE did Jean Bianca Abad know that her eye for mixing and matching clothes and tinkering with beads and strings would lead her to a successful business venture. At 18, the incoming Communication Arts junior and self-confessed “kikay” already owns a growing online accessory shop that attracts customers all over the country. “Everything started from scratch,” said Abad. “But through word of mouth, a huge number of customers started calling me and visiting my site.”
Tired of asking extra cash from her mother, Abad thought of a way to earn it. And with the help of her mom, her aunt, and her best friend, she came up with the idea of “making and selling” her designs two years ago.
Abad calls her collection Princess Bratinella, reflecting her funky style. It is also a moniker she uses in online community forums and blogs. She gets inspiration from fashion gurus in Paris or New York to widen her design perspectives. “It’s a mixture of everything,” she said.
Name it and she has it. Abad offers a variety of all-girl stuff. She designs accessories from intricately beaded earrings and necklaces to neon-colored belts, even bohemian tank tops, glittered sandals and colorful scarves. She sells bags and brooches, too. Whether for ordinary or special occasions, her collection stands out among others.
Most of the time, Abad follows the latest trend. She said girls and women love to wear what’s “in” and what’s “hot” today. “They ask for it and I just make it for them,” she said.
In the summer, Abad said clutch bags and flip-flops are best-sellers, as well as gold necklaces and trinkets as people are bound to hit the beach.
Abad does personalized products too, because fashion, for her, is mostly about self-expression and experimentation. “Sometimes I give suggestions which may look good, though it may not be that much trendy,” she said.
Bigger business
Life for designers solely depends on the approval of customers— the hardest people to please. But for Abad, the positive reactions she receives from her customers have exceeded her expectations.
“They (customers) have been very great. They always give me tips and congratulate me for my wonderful designs,” she said.
Abad’s online selling brought her a wider range of market. Last year, her collection was featured in the lifestyle section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The article, titled “Kikay ad Proud of it”, introduced Abad’s designs as money-saving alternatives to items—customers lust over but cannot afford. Pictures of her “Kikay” products covered half the page, and since then, has drawn interests from people of all ages.
“I was surprised by the huge number of customers I got. What’s funny is that most people think I am from De La Salle or Ateneo—since they are the ones usually engaged in this kind of business. But I always tell them I’m a Thomasian,“ said Abad. She even has a shirt design that says “Thomasian and Proud.”
Gems, sequins, beads, gold, and shells usually make up Abad’s designs. But what makes customers regularly buy from her are the cheap prices on her products. They go for as low as 50 to 500 pesos. This is because she scouts for bargain materials in shopping malls and even commissions wholesalers from provinces.
The training she gets from her major also helps. She uses her PR skills to sell and advertise her products.
“Of course there has to be rapport. I try to interact with my customers as much as I can. I personally deliver products whenever I can, so I get to meet them and see their reactions,” Abad said.
Responsibilities and academics-wise, Abad is not that bad either.
A consistent dean’s lister, Abad said her priority is still her academics.
“Business is just a by-product of my hobby,” she explained.
Despite having almost everything a girl can wish for, she keeps her feet firmly planted on the ground.
But with fresh ideas already in the works and customers continuously clicking their way onto her site, a bright future in designing awaits Abad. She said she’ll continue to improve her craft and stick to online selling, but she hopes to open a store of her own soon, just like her favorite fashion icons.
“The young entrepreneurs inspire me to continue,” said Abad. “Most especially those who earn for themselves and use their talents to prove that being ‘kikay’ is not being ‘maarte’.”
A catalogue of Princess Bratinella products is available on Abad’s website at http://princessbratinella.multiply.com. Rieze Rose T. Calbay
