Super sale millionaire

MANILA, Philippines –  To make your millions by the time you’re 40, or after two decades of hard work, may not come as a surprise. But to be a business tycoon at say, 24, or barely two years after college? Now that’s incredible.

But then, there’s 24-year-old Audrey Ednacot, a fresh and young fashion designer who is currently showing the whole wide world that business, like love, certainly knows no age.

This Integrated Marketing Communications graduate from the University of Asia and the Pacific has three companies on her shoulders.

She is the chief operations officer of Quickstitch which supplies bags to department stores nationwide; vice president for marketing of ABCK Productions, also known as the SuperSale Bazaar series; and director for operations of Moonshine, a company created in 2007 and first marketed as an online shop on Multiply but has now ventured from mouse-click sales to the more tangible boutique experience and has opened shop at Archeology in the Power Plant Mall.

“I’ve always been into fashion. I started first with Moonshine with my super best friend Kato Chua and people liked our products and started ordering from us,” Audrey says. “I was still young, I guess 13 years old, but I already had this love affair with bags.”

The Toronto-born, half-Chinese, half-Ilocana beauty adds, “I’ve always been exposed to business, our family having an embroidery business. We’re basically into fabrics.”

For Quickstitch, Audrey designs and oversees the production of bags that are supplied to department stores nationwide while for Moonshine, she designs and oversees the production of clothes that are sold online, in bazaars and in stores. She also monitors the budget and makes sales plans for the year.

Meantime, for SuperSale Bazaar, which is normally held at Rockwell Land venues such as the Rockwell Tent and The Grove by Rockwell in Ortigas, she plans and makes the budget for the event.

Audrey says the reason why their bazaars and products are much anticipated by consumers is because they find unique, fashion-forward, as well as designer pieces for less than their usual price.

“In our bazaars, our shoes, bags, clothes, cosmetics and fine jewelry are normally sold three percent off. We’re lucky there are other bazaaristas so we already have a network plus we have our own clothing line,” she says. “We also feature the works of upcoming designers.”

As if the three enterprises are not enough, Audrey is still coming up with another one – the RTRW, a clothing line, where she is the vice president for marketing.

Before she went into her own business, Audrey also tried copywriting for Publicis Jimenez Basic where she conceptualized ads for several brands. She was also a PR/marketing officer for The Tides Boracay where she created and oversaw all events of the hotel.

Audrey thinks she is not cut out for a nine to five job, but says her stints with these companies prepared her for her own business venture as she already had an idea how to market her own products and at the same time, had her experience dealing with clients especially for sponsorship, and creating tie ups and affiliations with other companies.

Her passion for fashion has certainly led Audrey into these lucrative businesses. Asked how long it took her to earn her first million from the time she opened her first business, Audrey shyly says six months.

“I was just really, really lucky because we came in at the right time,” she says, quickly stressing that God has always been there for her. Likewise, Audrey says hard work plays a vital role in the success of her business ventures.

Audrey’s boyfriend, fellow entrepreneur Mark Dee, who was with her during the interview, says “I do not even know where she gets all the energy. She is just extremely hardworking.”

Audrey is also quick to point out that contrary to popular belief, the fashion industry is not all about glamour.

“Glamour is only in the front. At the back it’s tedious work – meeting with suppliers, manufacturers, clients.”

She advises aspiring entrepreneurs to make sure that they really like what they are getting into “because if your heart’s not into it, it just won’t work.”

“Also, do not rely on other people’s collections. Create your own,” she tells budding fashion designers. “Plus, handle your money well.”

After all her hard work, Audrey sure knows how to reward herself and make some investments. She got herself a unit at The Grove by Rockwell, an exclusive, 5.4 hectare residential enclave along C5, near Ortigas Avenue that offers a refreshing break from city life with its resort-inspired development. She also spends some time traveling abroad to check out the latest trends in fashion.

Audrey cannot be more thankful for all the blessings that she has been getting. “I am privileged to be doing something that I really love, to be able to touch base this early with what I want in life.”

Having achieved so much at such a young age, one wonders if there is still anything Audrey wants in life. “I want my businesses to grow. But at the end of the day, what I want the most is to become a good wife and mother. What’s the use of all these when you don’t have a family to share them with?” she ends.