![DREAMERS & DOERS: Tricia Gotamco & Erin Chu of Made For Movement Yoga & Travel
Life really does send us synchronicities every so often, we just have to be open enough to recognize them, and keen enough to act upon them.
Series of Synchronicities
About a month ago, I claimed a 2-week Deal Grocer pass for Urban Ashram, and a former ICA batchmate, Tricia, was still teaching there then. Incidentally, I had also been looking through Made For Movement’s site in search of a travel-friendly yoga mat a few days prior to attending Tricia’s class. From my bazaar rounds for Punchdrunk Panda, I knew Tricia Gotamco owned Made For Movement with partner Erin Chu.
After seeing Tricia that day and briefly chatting with her after her class, I just knew I ought to write about her and Made For Movement for my blog.
So we agreed to meet again at my regular haunt lately, Pipino, this time with Erin to chat more about yoga, business, a bit about vegetarianism, and an unexpected lot about passion.
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Moving On To Better Things
Tricia shared that as Made For Movement, “We aim to provide high-end products at mid-range prices for travelers and the yoga community”, given that most available products are much more expensive.
Back in March 2010, when Tricia had just come back from traveling and attending yoga teacher training in India, ideas of a business began percolating in her head. At the same time, Erin was feeling increased stress from work and cubicle confinement. Having been friends for the longest time, and partners on other “mini-business ventures” back in college, it was a natural decision for them to partner up again.
So they just dove in.
Erin left her full-time job at a bank to focus on the business, while Tricia started to put some of her yoga teacher training to practice, which would later prove beneficial to their business.
They started the business with their bestselling line of microfiber travel towels. And given their mutual fondness for yoga, eventually moved on to yoga mats and accessories and accessories as well.
The Perks of Travel & Yoga
Tricia and Erin’s eyes sparkled when talking about their travels and yoga beginnings. Traveling allowed them time to unwind, be inspired and come up with new ideas. And while they had their own motivations for beginning their yoga practice (for Erin, it was a physical activity that effectively relieved her of stress without requiring hand and foot coordination; for Tricia, it was initially to lose weight), their love for yoga is among the things that bind them as they are gaining popularity as the only local brand that provides more affordable products for the yoga community in the Philippines.
Moving Forward
Having graduated from Fashion Institute of the Philippines, and as the natural course of their brand, Tricia would like to introduce a line of yoga and travel wear for the brand. With what they’ve accomplished so far, and with their still growing success and recognition, I am confident that Tricia and Erin will go even further with their brand.
And because I think it is no accident that I got in touch with them, and gotten to know them better as individuals (and even conducted a passion test on them), I’ll definitely be backing them and rooting for their success.
For my Life in 10KGs Giveaway, the nice ladies of Made For Movement are giving three (3) lucky winners a Made For Movement travel hand towel each, along with other goodies summing up to P2000 worth of prizes!
Back to prepping for my trip,Jen
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DREAMERS & DOERS: Tricia Gotamco & Erin Chu of Made For Movement Yoga & Travel
Life really does send us synchronicities every so often, we just have to be open enough to recognize them, and keen enough to act upon them.
Series of Synchronicities
About a month ago, I claimed a 2-week Deal Grocer pass for Urban Ashram, and a former ICA batchmate, Tricia, was still teaching there then. Incidentally, I had also been looking through Made For Movement’s site in search of a travel-friendly yoga mat a few days prior to attending Tricia’s class. From my bazaar rounds for Punchdrunk Panda, I knew Tricia Gotamco owned Made For Movement with partner Erin Chu.
After seeing Tricia that day and briefly chatting with her after her class, I just knew I ought to write about her and Made For Movement for my blog.
So we agreed to meet again at my regular haunt lately, Pipino, this time with Erin to chat more about yoga, business, a bit about vegetarianism, and an unexpected lot about passion.
Heima’s MT Washi Tape Product Launch this Saturday!
Can’t help but post an entry about it because all of Heima’s posters / pubmats are so…well, pretty!
They’ll be exhibiting the experiments of selected crafters (including this clueless one) from the Washi Craft Project they’ll be holding earlier in the day. :D
Also happening then is Heima’s Design Discussion + Party, which seems very promising; a veritably worthwhile way to spend you Saturday afternoon.
Looking forward to the weekend!
Wishy Washi,
Jen
Heima’s Design Discussion + Party this Saturday, Dec. 17!
This is the same day they’ll be holding the Washi Craft Project which I blogged about before. So yeah, Dec. 17 is shaping up to be a really fun and exciting day for me. :)
I’m semi zombified from post-bazaar series exhaustion and other Punchdrunk Panda concerns, so this will be a nice break from that, and hopefully, this will give me sources of inspiration and induce free-flowing creative juices. :D
Progress report for Nomad Manager and Punchdrunk Panda will be on hold for now, but I’ll definitely have something next week. Right now, I’m just taking a break from editing a video of our little blogger get-together for our latest laptop and iPad sleeves, which I should have up by tomorrow.
Excited for Saturday! XD
Hey ma, hi ma,
Jen
Washi Craft Project for Heima Paper Club
Dec. 17, 2011 | 11AM
Weeee!! I was so thrilled when I got an invite from Bong Rojales of Heima in my inbox last Saturday. :) So here’s the scoop as excerpted from Bong’s e-mail:
“Good news. We have decided to finally carry the MT Washi Tapes from Japan at our stores.
And we plan to launch this to coincide with a Design Discussion / Design Party event on December 17, 2011 ( 1PM to 8 PM ).
An idea came up to invite select craft and design enthusiast and friends who think would enjoy crafting together.
The concept is simple, we would provide some Washi tapes and some other materials.
The participants can make a collage or design something that uses the Washi tapes together with your ideas.
An exhibit of the output will be done right after and will last until 8PM only.”
…
So there! I have no idea what I’m going to make, and not to be melodramatic, but I really do not have much confidence in my crafting skills, and I must admit I feel some pressure in coming up with an idea beforehand so I won’t be grossly, shamefully “outcrafted”.
I also feel really privileged *blushes* to be among the invitees. Bong said they wanted to keep it between 6-8 crafters, so yeah, exclusivity is always kind of exciting. :P
So yay! I’m looking forward to meeting my fellow crafters (if I can properly call myself one). No matter what my final output ends up looking like, I’m sure it will be fun!
I hope I can make a little video out of this session. :D
Cut and tape,
Jen
10-A Alabama Arts and Crafts Fair
10.23.2011
Too long ago, (wow, I’m now 2 days short of a month of putting this entry off) I visited the 10-A Alabama Arts and Crafts Fair at well, 10-A Alabama street in Quezon City, thanks to my friend Jamie.
I hadn’t actually heard about it before, nor was I able to see any blog posts on it prior to my visit, so I didn’t really know what it would look like or what merchandise would be sold there. All I know is that she wanted to look at “resurrected” furniture c/o Resurrection Furniture and Found Objects Gallery.
When I got there, I found more arts and crafts and a lot of accessories. I particularly loved the above photo of screen-painted portraits, or whatever you might call them. Alas, I couldn’t find a card/artist/owner to attach these art pieces to. If anyone does, send me a message so I can credit him/her properly. :)
A lot of the stuff you’ll find look like they came straight out of Etsy, that website with all the handcrafted stuff. :) I was mildly disappointed by this because I was hoping to see more restored/repurposed furniture, but I was still very happy about going there and meeting some of the artists who participated in the fair, including but not limited to…
This is Femi Cachola with her handsewn critters :D
And this nifty DSLR plushie…
And check it out! You can even change the picture on the back panel/monitor! :D
Haha how cool is that?
And Punchdrunk Panda’s Anteroom Sessions brand partner Junk Studio (Nikki seems to be everywhere, really! :D)
And another upcycled accessory brand Junkshop Abubot…
…whose incidental salesperson Jasmine proved to be very effective. I wound up making an unexpected earring purchase because of her! :))
I was also privileged to meet dolphin-saver Maye Padilla!
Yes, she’s one of those responsible for spreading the message of love for dolphins on our otherwise drab and dreary city walls. So cool to meet the person who has unknowingly seared the familiar image of these adorable sea mammals in my brain. I just love and support all efforts that encourage us menace-to-the-Earth humans to become more conscious about how our actions impact the earth and all the creatures that inhabit it. Yay!
There was also a tiny table selling pretty potted plants, but I just recently killed one, so I thought to spare a life of another and not buy one right now. But I love how the owner adopted a concept similar to Honesty Cafe in Batanes (though I haven’t gone there, I just heard about it). Read!
And more than the sellers, I just loved the look of 10-A Alabama. :D
I just love places that aren’t brand new or too crisp and clean-looking. I just feel that some age and wearing down adds more character to furniture / interiors, so yeah. I think that’s why I was hoping to see more furniture.Check out the below photo! Quite Anteroom Sessions-esque!
There was a bunch of other sellers I wasn’t able to take pictures of, or include in this post, but you can view some other pictures I took here.
Anyway, the next 10-A Alabama Arts and Crafts Fair will be on Dec. 10-11, the same weekend of the Port 88 Christmas Bazaar at Megatent (Punchdrunk Panda will be participating at Port 88!), so make sure to allot time for both events that weekend! :D
Buy your Christmas giiiiiifts!!
HO HO HO-ing,
Jen
Space Encounters and Subspace Coffee.
Oh my god.
*Moment of speechlessness*
followed by:
*GASP!*
“Wooooow!!”
“Ang gandaaaah!!”
“OH MY GHOOOOOD!!!”
DISCLAIMER: Bear with me, people. This entry will be long, and the number of pictures that I will probably be posting will require many-a-scrolling, but I promise, it will be worth it. Even if my photos may not be as artistically rendered as those by prime-lens-mounted-DSLR-wielding photographers, the most ordinary photos can look good with great subjects.
I first heard about Subspace Coffee from Nica, and I stumbled upon Space Encounters from some other blog. Seeing the pictures, I knew I wanted to go there. Soon. I had to. So finally, FINALLY, Nica and I made the trip today. And while I knew I would most probably love what I saw, I did not realize how much I would love it.
Subspace was the only intended destination for the afternoon, but I thought we ought to check out Space Encounters as well for some creative inspiration.
Space Encounters features original work by interior designer Wilmer Lopez. Most of the pieces you’ll find are inspired by mid-century modern design, with a focus hand-made, well-crafted wooden pieces as opposed to factory-spewed reproductions.
Needless to say, there was awed silence. Wide eyes. And repeated sudden, deep intakes of breath. It took me a while to absorb everything. And even after I went around and looked at everything I could possibly look at in the store, I still couldn’t get over it. LOVE. As in, I-could-live-here Love. Well, I probably wouldn’t find a K-pop corner in my own dream dwelling, but I’m sure Space Encounters has its market for that (i.e. Punchdrunk Panda design intern, Patman).
View even more of my Space Encounters pictures here.
After our extended gawking inside Space Encounters, we had to peel ourselves away and go back to work…this time, at Subspace.
The same pattern continued. Awed silence. Wide eyes. And repeated sudden, deep intakes of breath.
It took me a while to settle down and finally place my order. And when I finally did, I spotted this voice-activated Eve from Wall-E! (see Eve in action here)
When the excitement over Eve died down, I ordered their best-selling Purple Potato Latte (Hot: 8 oz.-P125, 12 oz.-P140; Cold: P140), complete with leveled up latté art, while Nica got a Cheese Muffin (P70).
View even more of my Subspace pictures here.
We stayed the afternoon and worked in this inspiring environment, yes, with K-pop playing in the background. If I were to create a dream office for Punchdrunk Panda, it would look like Subspace. With some added elements from Space Encounters. And whoooo, yes, complete with a barista! Haha.
After finishing my main task for PdP that day, I asked Thor, part owner of Subspace (whom I met as Nica and I were placing our orders), if he was free for a quick chat. I found out that this hypergalactic cafe was encouraged by several customers stepping into Space Encounters, the aforementioned home lifestyle shop, and asking for coffee, because they thought Space Encounters was a café. So, 3 months ago, partners Thor Balanon and Wilmer Lopez opened Subspace, a few paces and a sidewalk-engraved “I love you” away (walk from Space Encounters to Subspace and you’ll get what I mean).
I also found out that Thor worked in the ad world for a while before quitting and pursuing something of his own. This really confirms an observation by my partner Gail and I that ad agencies really do tend to spew entrepreneurs. :P I shan’t say more.
And haha…I loved Subspace so much that even after spending the entire afternoon with Nica there, I went back with Karlo after dinner! (Luckily, I managed to get the barista to take a quick shot of us before my camera died) And I requested that my scheduled meeting today be held there. HA-HA. (3 visits in 24 hours!)
So yeah, I have no vested interest in promoting Subspace and Space Encounters, but yeah, when I love something, I love something. I just wish I didn’t have to spend so much with each visit. :P Nonetheless, I see myself coaxing (or coercing) my PdP team to spend the occasional afternoon of work there. :D
Go visit Space Encounters and Subspace for some interplanetary inspiration!
Check out their beautiful business cards below!
Think Different
The classic Apple ad that made it an aspirational brand.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They are not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them, because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
To prepare my Punchdrunk Panda colleagues for our brand discussion and planning session, I had just recently shared this video with them because Apple really set the standard for creating a company that changes the world, and this really moves me (and I’d like to think the rest of the world) personally, and just inspires us to live lives of meaning.
Steve Jobs now deserves a place with the rest of these people.
The world is at a great loss with the departure of a creative visionary who chose to never settle, stay hungry, and stay foolish.
#RIPSteveJobs
(via mwkchan)
Charlie Clothing: A Retail Brand with Global Standards
Almost 7 days from the time I actually visited Charlie, I am finally writing this entry. And my visit had also been weeks in the making.
I first noticed the brand a few months ago through mannequin displays at the ground floor of The Block in SM North EDSA. I’d always told myself that this “Charlie” brand seemed interesting and that I should pay a visit to the store, but was only able to remember last Friday, Sept. 30.
When I first saw it, I thought. WOW. This is a really well laid out and merchandised store. And it looked so classy, so I expected their prices to be on the expensive side.
They had several blouses that I felt were just my type, made with light fabric that’s cool on the skin. And I was surprised to find that most tops didn’t over P1000, and Nica, who accompanied me, even cited that there were tops as low as P349!
They also carried a whole range of other casual wear, and they also sold accessories at P199, and comfy-looking shoes/flats/sandals for as low as P799.
But I think the most interesting merchandise in the store would be their jeans.
Although their styles were limited to skinny jeans, I felt that a lot of care went into designing the jeans to make them flatter figures and full butts. :)
I also thought they had very tasteful and classic washes, and I like that they had a description for each wash to guide customers in their purchase. :)
Their display reminded me of Uniqlo’s collection of quality denim jeans, except that their jeans were priced at only P1499.
I also noticed their tags were also tastefully rendered, truly lending the impression that it is an internationally distributed brand because (though I may not have been able to take a clearer photo) beside the size indicated on the gray part of their tag, you’ll see the cost of their apparel in other currencies, including the US dollar, and I’m not sure if they had it in Euros, Canadian / Hong Kong dollars as well.
So yeah, I just really felt that it was branded and merchandised quite well, and the clothing was finely made. It felt like shopping at a much more affordable Topshop or Uniqlo, and it also reminded me of one of my other favorite apparel stores, Cotton On. :) I was even more surprised when I found out that this brand is actually a Filipino brand and that all apparel is made here in the Philippines! *beams with pride*
I wanted to maybe have a short Q&A with the founders of the brand for this post, but I was hard-pressed to find model Bea Soriano and/or partner Eric Dee’s contact details online. I guess that’s one area they could really address now, their online presence. Their website, shopcharlie.com is still “Coming Soon” as of this post. They had no accounts on Facebook or Twitter, and I just feel that their inaccessibility on the net is a lost opportunity for them to drive sales to their stores.
Nonetheless, I admire the brand, and it makes my heart swell when I see Filipino brands uphold such global standards, and prove that we are more than capable of being world-class.
I must also commend the young couple behind it for their aggressive expansion. Apart from their SM North EDSA branch, they recently opened another branch in SM San Lazaro, and are set to open branches in SM Fairview (October) and SM Manila (November), according to this article from the Inquirer. By next year, Real Time Retail Wear (RTRW) Inc. targets to put up another five to six Charlie stores within Metro Manila.
Visit Charlie at the 3rd floor of The Block at SM North EDSA. :)
