Bea Valdes: In vogue

When designer Bea Valdes was five, she created a piece that became a runaway winner for two consecutive years in her village’s Halloween costume contest. "It was a witch outfit that I put together with interesting details. It won Best Costume that year and the next when my sister used it," she recalls fondly. At a very young age, Bea knew that she was meant to work in an industry that allowed her to express her creativity.

Growing up in a family that has long been associated with the jewelry industry, she has always had an eye for details, technique and method. In college, she pursued a degree in Industrial Design at the University of the Philippines and soon after went to London to study Interior Design. For a time, she was busy doing interiors for commercial establishments. At one point, she also gave journalism a try, writing regularly for PEOPLE Asia and a daily newspaper. Then came the birth of Bea Valdes bags. And things began to take a turn – a very interesting turn.

Today, she is one of the many Filipino designers who brings pride to the country. The name Bea Valdes is now familiar to just about anyone who has a flair for style both here and in fashion capitals around the world.

"I was applying at Central Saint Martins for Jewelry Design. A professor who saw me for an interview checked out the panels that I brought as sample work. He took a look at the panels that I had embellished with semi-precious stones and told me I should use them as bags," recollects Bea. Admittedly, bags were the last thing that Bea had in mind. The idea stuck, however, and in 2000 she created 12 egg-shaped bags, intricately embellished with semi-precious stones. Her first collection was a hit with the stylish set. "I began not knowing a thing about bags, but my background in industrial design has helped in developing pieces," she says. "All kinds of design are connected so I am able to apply my education to the work that I do today."

Characteristic elements of her pieces include intricate beadwork, embellishments and innovative design. "I’m very detail-oriented. Every piece I create has distinct shades of blue and touches of copper. Handiwork is a passion of mine. I feel that each piece we create is something very personal; nothing is mass produced." Bea Valdes pieces take around a month to complete.

The creative energy in Bea’s workshop is very free-flowing and spontaneous. "I don’t really plan what I create. I begin by working on my panels. Sometimes, a panel will tell me what it wants to be – a bag, a neckpiece." Recently, she was featured in the world’s style bible, Vogue. "A client of ours from New York brought some of my bags to Vogue and they immediately took shots of those pieces and contacted me for a photo shoot and interview," she narrates. At around the same time, the city’s style instigators were flocking to boutiques to get their very own Bea Valdes purses. International fashion emporiums have also begun making room for her intricately embellished pieces. Bea was also chosen as one of PEOPLE Asia magazine’s "PEOPLE of the Year" in 2005.

But she remains unaffected, choosing to devote more time working on her pieces in her flip-flops and worn-in clothes. Bea says, "I never really felt the pressure from getting all the attention because at that time, I was more focused on my work. Honestly, I’d prefer to be in the workshop in my flip-flops and jogging pants. A usual day for me would be needles and beads." Dedication, hard work and passion are keys to fulfilling a dream, as one will observe when talking to Bea. And although "all that glitters" is essentially what Bea Valdes’s business is all about, she emphasizes, "The most important thing in one’s life is that you do the work you love with the people you love." –Bianca Salonga