Feminine Frills

CEBU, Philippines -  Conquering the furniture industry worldwide with high-end Philippine-made furniture and home accessories for 25 years now, a Janice Minor is no longer confined in the living room nor in the gazebo but now joins the ranks of Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Burberry and even Annie Chen  in your closet.

From a lounging set to something to be worn, Janice Minor is now also a fashion accessories trade name.

Binibini by Janice Minor is a brand that exemplifies local ingenuity and fine craftsmanship using organic and indigenous materials. “This is something Filipinos could all be proud of,” enthused the president/creative directress Janice Minor and the first to be crowned Miss Cebu. Coined as Binibini, “Philippine womanhood in full bloom", Janice Minor weaves creations that showcase the face of the country's feminine fashion to the world. 

The jewelry line for instance is a collection that uses Philippine gemstones – Philippine petrified wood (fossilized trees that naturally take millions of years to develop into gemstone minerals), archipelagic malachite (mineral entwined with copper and turquoise), onyx, jaspers, pyrite, chalcedony, amethyst, agate and tectites – set in sterling silver and gold crafted by an artisan.

"The collection is versatile. It (a Binibini creation) goes well with a gown, dress or a tee," said Cebuano designer Myrna Cebrecus. Chunky bangles with petrified wood slabs, cocktail rings, dangling and bib neckpieces with gems linked by gold chains, long necklaces with silver chains and tassels, and chokers complete the quintessential female frills made to standout.   

Bag Hag 

Janice Minor's penchant for anything highly fashionable is well-translated in her Binibini elegant bag collection that screams artistically native and promotes love of country with the use of no less than indigenous and natural materials such as raffia fiber from Central Philippines, buntal from the northern provinces, abaca from Mactan and tinalak from the T'boli tribe, handcrafted to create a statement piece. Each creation compliments a character, hence, Janice Minor named each with ladies names or an idea that reflects the design and style of the piece. To top it off, organically-shaped gemstones slabs are attached as central accents.

A bagaholic, Janice Minor's first foray to bag designing via the Crescent Summer Bags made from dyed hand-woven banana bark with raffia collar and agate accent was successful. After showcasing these in exhibits in Manila (October 2010), Paris (January 2011) and Milan (four days after the Paris expo), the crescents became sough-after. Joining the racks are multipurpose tote bags, transeasonal carry-alls, top-handle arm candies and Boho shoulder bags for a woman's fancy.

Haute Hats

Functional haute hats can very well compete with the European styles. These are wide-brimmed chic sun shields that fit in the crown of your head. The hats aren’t designed as your typical beach hat but ergonomically created as a daily fashion statement for practical use. Made from raffia and tinalak, the Binibini sun hat comes in different shades to suit different personalities.

In the pipeline are hats with ultraviolet rays shade and hatsors (hat and sun visor), as well as a shoewear line to match the bags.     

Binibini by Janice Minor will be officially launched via a fashion show at the Janice Minor Gallery in Banilad come June 4, featuring two Cebuano women fashion designers Myrna Cebrecus of Modelli Heavenly Fashion and Elaine Cooper.   (FREEMAN)