Gionna Cabrera: From beauty queen to bag designer

Yes, she is beautiful and so are her products. Gionna Cabrera had just graduated from her marketing and communications course when she was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-Universe. With her exposure to the ramp, Gionna realized that there was a need for models to use accessories that thrilled them. The thought of doing something creative led her to design bags made from Philippine acacia and mahogany wood.

To attract attention, our 27-year-old bachelorette joined Philippine Fashion Week in Manila, where she was recognized as one of the country’s top new designers in 2008. Inspired by this award, Gionna co-produced a fashion show in Portland, Oregon. That was successful, too.

The hardwood acacia makes her bags smell good. Customers’ requests to alter the colors or change the styles have encouraged Gionna to be flexible about her products. As the manufacturer, designer and distributor of these clutch bags, Gionna knows that how she markets her products is critical to her success. So she worked with professional photographers who agreed to shoot her design concepts. She tapped her friends from the ramp to pose for her sleek catalogs and, best of all, she used her name to brand her line: Gionna Cabrera handcrafted bags.

After having my own business, I realized that it takes hard work and courage to constantly innovate to be in line with today’s trends and technology so that you can expand further and diversify, especially if you are a designer.

I choose my employees based on their woodcarving skills and if they really need the job. I like giving work to those who are idle but have the skill and desire to work. I have 40 people working on a time frame on the bags because we do not use machines. These workers are from the province and grew up with this art.

One of my goals this year is to diversify and expand, not only in bags but also in retail as that is my first love. Now that I am also a designer, I think that I should focus on my original idea, which was my love for retailing. I window-shop a lot and observe the trends in buying. If I see a piece that I feel is appealing to most people and at the same time not too mass-produced, then I think it is one to consider in one’s collection.

My personal style signifier is my bags. I have been designing bags made of acacia wood and lacquered in resin since April 2008. Everything is one-of-a-kind and I started this adventure because I wanted something different for myself. The wood is hollowed out so there are two pieces of wood that are squeezed in the middle — exactly the same — so when you close it, it is a bag.

For grooming and style I rely on my knowledge based on the models I look up to. Once I see them in the magazines, I remember their faces and the details in my head and I think of my look. It’s photographic.

In my fridge you’ll always find that when I lived on my own in Rockwell, my fridge would be empty. Now that I’ve moved back to live with my parents, there is always yogurt, eggs and food that have been cooked before.

The thing I’m eyeing to buy next would be a Loewe satchel bag. That’s what I really want. 

My favorite websites include the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Euronews.org. I update myself on the news then go on to their lifestyle section. A while ago I was searching for buttons.

My style icon is Julianne Moore. She has this quiet elegance and a lot of appeal because of her red hair. She always wears conservative clothes that make her look sultry because of her essence as a woman.

If I wasn’t doing what I do, I would be studying business and finance. I am thinking of other ventures like what to really include in my line, but to expand my business, I have to master the nitty-gritty of accounting.

The grooming basic I am never without is concealer for my dark under-eye circles. I use MAC NT35. I will always invest in a concealer.

If a failure of elections is called, my reaction would be more or less indifferent. It might sound disconcerting for me as a Filipino citizen, but I am not very enthusiastic about voting because it is going to be the same again. I am not very optimistic about the trend of where our country is going. As a citizen who would like to contribute something, not only here but also internationally, I think that we should just focus on our industries. There is so much to tackle.

When my friends talk about politics, I do not pick sides. I do not want to fight about politics or religion. Some people can get too emotional and identify themselves with an idea. I am very liberal and conservative at the same time and am abreast of political issues.

In school, I learned 10 percent of what I know now.

What helped me to conquer fear is my confidence in my creative abilities. It is something that is intangible in myself. I realize that fear is a state of mind and beyond that I feel the universal abundance.

A recent setback I had was when I had this feeling of dead air. I was not contented with what I had. It pulls me down whenever I reflect on what I have done and what I have built upon and suddenly it can just go back to that point. It’s a cycle when you feel that everything is already complete but something is missing still.

A while ago I was browsing the top 100 shoes that the editors liked in the spring collection of Coutorture.com. It’s a fashion website that I use to update myself. I used to be very much into the trends, but now I like the basics more.

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E-mail: aurorawilson@gmail.com