From fashion to interiors

I met Chito during our Cocobanana days in the Seventies. Cocobanana was this club in Manila where all these artistic types, these free spirits used to hang out. Artists, painters, designers.

And then he became my couturier. He made the most gorgeous clothes for me and a very loyal clientele. I would order clothes from him even when I had already moved to New York. This was up to the Eighties, so he was designing for around 18 years. And then he decided to move to interior design.

Chito wanted to do something more lasting with his creativity. He thought fashion and clothes were too ephemeral. He started work on his own house, and I guess he discovered another gift. He learned the ropes through hands-on experience and just said good-bye to fashion design!

Then sometime in the Nineties he and his partner Ricky Toledo opened this small store, called Juno, and you could go by appointment only. They just put there their collection of fine things, their acquisitions from traveling. So why not make money out of it?

It grew, they found partners, and now the have Firma (in Greenbelt 3). As Chito said, people think Firma is a lifestyle store, but it’s not. It’s a design establishment, a studio. Everything that is put there is by design, not just because it’s in fashion. A lot of thought has been put into each object. Look at their throw pillows, and now he’s making ostrich egg lamps with jewels!

Chito is a true artist; he has been since he was a young boy. He has that vision. He’s very selective with his clients, and money is only incidental to him. I’m so proud of him. He loves his work and he’s passionate about it, and I can only see him becoming more successful. – As told to Paula Nocon