Woe is the woman unable to appreciate the girlier, more feminine side of things. Take, for example, the pretty print of a Nanette Leopore frock or the darling instep of a Kate Spade sandal. The same could be said for one of Rina Albert’s sketches, often composed of girls in various picturesque scenes.
Stamped on notebook covers, stationery and notecards, the images read like a well-to-do girl’s travels writ in watercolor sketches — and that’s precisely what they are. “When I want to be inspired,” says Rina Albert, “I usually whip out my camera and start taking pictures of the things or scenes that appeal to me.” Those scenes often take place in Europe, one of Albert’s favorite vacation destinations. “If I see a nice café or some interesting architecture,” she explains, “I’m instantly inspired.”
Albert’s signature sketches often evoke a sense of casual glamour. Charming and filled with quirky eccentricities, most of her illustrations involve winsome females in the midst of shopping or dining. The figures, reed-thin and well dressed, can be seen stepping out of a French-ified, shrub-covered apartment or walking the dog, past shopping haunts or old-world promenades. They live a life of artless luxury and effortless elegance. Taking their sartorial cue from such beloved icons as Jackie O or Audrey Hepburn, Albert’s idealized females take to the street in chic day dresses and charming kitten heels. When they’re not sunning by the beach, surrounded by the accoutrements of a classic picnic, they’re hitting the city’s gentrified hotspots in a mint and pink-trimmed trench and crisp white cigarette pants, the look finished off by a pair of low-key ballet flats.
She’s captured the mise en scène of such places as St. Tropez, a hub for the rich and fashionable once the temperature hits the high notes. While her illustrations veer towards the upscale, there’s an unpretentious feeling to all of them.
Inspired by both the haute and bargain worlds of style, Albert usually turns her eye to preppier, classic labels like Kate Spade, Rafe, Marc Jacobs and — when she feels like spicing things up — a hint of Cavalli. “I usually draw the things I want but can’t find,” she confesses. “This is one way to get it out of my system.”
Some parts of her life also work their way into her art, like the scene of her and a girlfriend munching food on a couch while watching TV. “That is pretty much me and my best friend on a random weeknight,” she says with a laugh. Most girls would agree.
Just like her illustrated counterparts, Albert considers herself a girl’s girl — albeit with a sportier edge. “I tend to value comfort over fashion, so while I love a great high-heeled pair of shoes, you’ll usually find me in a pair of jeans or flip-flops.” But don’t let her down-home assurances fool you. When we meet over coffee, she looks almost exactly like one of her characters lifted out of some chichi French scene. Dressed in a black empire-cut trapeze frock, trimmed in purple and pink, her feet encased in dainty strappy sandals, an oversized stamped leather bag on her shoulder, she appears to be a member of the fashionista club — perhaps an unlikely one, but a member nonetheless.
“My closet is a disaster,” she shares. “It’s jammed with stuff since I’m a total pack rat.” Filled to the brim with an endless array of flip-flops, denim pants and more shoes and bags than any girl could need, her wardrobe is the ultimate stimulus for a shop-happy artist like herself.
Much of her work includes solo product series that could easily doll up a notecard. A colorful printed kimono top here, a pair of ankle-strapped green and white polka-dot high-heeled sandals there, an embellished raffia clutch in periwinkle here, and you have the makings of Albert’s dream wardrobe.
Even her own pieces make for good fodder. “Sometimes I just pick a pair of shoes from my closet, plunk them down on my desk and then sketch,” she says with a laugh. Certain accessories are even Albert’s own design.
She dreams up such esoteric pieces of whimsy every day — or at least she tries to. Albert takes to her flights of fashion anytime the mood hits her — although these days, the entrepreneur-slash-artist is looking to make drawing a full-time job. “I try to create something every day,” she says, “except Sundays.”
Some days, she gets up early to play tennis and then catches a movie with friends. On those days when work starts late, she can go on till the wee hours of the night.
“The process of producing an illustration is simple enough,” she explains. She begins by sketching the image and then fills them in with watercolors. The tricky part, she adds, is working with color combinations, something she experiments with on a regular basis.
Great Escape Artist
The Manhattan College-educated Albert decided to dabble in illustration fresh out of high school. “I always knew I was talented at illustrating,” she says. “Growing up, I’d been tagged as the artsy and creative one in the family.”
It only made sense, after graduating from Assumption San Lorenzo High School, that she’d enter the creative field. Advertising and graphic design seemed like a good-enough option, but in the end creating her own designs turned out to be the more viable option. “So I majored in art with a minor in business management,” she states matter-of-factly.
Fashion and business, after all, runs in the family. Her sister Monique Albert fashions flip-flops, available at retailers like Rustan’s, called Waigu, a label known for embellished slippers and sandals. Her father, Butch Albert, is affiliated with the sporty brand Fila — he owns it — while her mother, Lily Chan, a businesswoman, is the sister of composer/businessman Jose Mari Chan.
“My mom encouraged me to do what I wanted most,” she says. “She said I should give it a go now while my creative juices are still flowing.” So Albert headed to New York, where shops like Papyrus, a stationery shop, planted ideas in her head about beautifully made paper and other such trifles.
It soon became obvious to Albert that the life of a starving artist was not for her. A pragmatist at heart, she realized that the only way she could actually create art for a living was if she could retail it in ways that were accessible to consumers.
“I thought I’d do better putting my art into things people can use,” she says thoughtfully.
Thus began her foray into the world of printed matter. Not unlike Jordi Labanda, who popularized the fashion-y notebooks with covers inspired by the retro ‘70s-inspired bacchanalia made popular by the Studio 54 set albeit transposed to a more modern time. “Jordi Labanda is more modern and clubby,” Albert is quick to clarify, “while my work is more girly and lifestyle-oriented.”
Her first round of illustrations featured baby elephant prints on notecards. Adorably etched in watercolor, the elephant was wrapped with a pastel, polka-dot blanket and framed one corner of the notecard. “I was so excited by this first run that I did so many variations of the same print. I automatically assumed they’d sell like hotcakes.” She soon learned that average consumers are a fickle bunch. “Not everyone likes what I do,” she says with a shrug, “everyone’s different. And that’s fine.”
She quickly grew the collection, pretty soon making other animal-themed prints, including dragonflies and butterflies.
“Filipinas are so much more kikay than everyone else, so I decided to include handbags and shoes.” Those prints flew off the shelves and Albert hasn’t looked back since.
These days, having retailed her stationery and notebooks in shops like Rustan’s and Powerbooks, her portfolio has grown steadily, including illustrations for the Rustan’s Essenses shopping bag, along with art for billboards like ‘tween fashion brand Just G.
Her latest project involves toiletry kits. She managed to transpose some of her sketches onto plastic-covered canvas pouches trimmed in blue and pink.
“For the future I’d love to experiment with printing on fabrics and other materials,” she says, “from towels to glassware.” And her signature girly prints? “That’ll always be there,” she adds, “but I’d like to branch out to Filipiniana-inspired prints, too.”
Native scenes, like the jeepney or kalesa, done in Albert’s signature girlish style are sure to be a hit with consumers once they hit stands, thanks to the current wave of Pinoy pride.
Until then, they’ll have to make do with the whimsical, stylish pieces that have tastemakers all over Manila drooling.
“I love seeing my stuff in stores,” she says excitedly. “But it’s so much better to see people using my products. I can’t believe I get paid to do what I love.”
Trust me when I say the consumers are getting the better part of the bargain. Forget e-mail. Albert’s stationery has made putting pen to paper a much more enjoyable task.
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Rina Albert’s line of notebooks and stationery, ranging from P100 to P300 plus, is available at Rustan’s, Powerbooks and The Wrap shops. She also does personalized notecards (one pad with 60 sheets costs about P280-P340, while non-personalized notecards retail for P160/pad). For more information or to order, e-mail katharine_albert@hotmail.com.