A fantasy created with blooms and light

At the end of a busy day at work, events stylist Jo Claravall cocoons herself in a stark all-white bedroom where she relaxes and thus clears her mind. Everything is white – the walls, curtains, furniture, lamps and linens. But the instant she steps into her studio, it is a totally different ambiance – a riot of colors and a whole range of accessories envelop her, where she begins to compose the setting for her next grand production.

This extreme contrast between her personal space and her work area replicates the process that goes on in every project she handles. Her imagination ignites the transformation. “I start with a clean and clear vision. The venue – a blank canvas where I assemble all the elements needed to create a desired mood, appeal to all the senses and fulfill every client’s fantasy. It is a heady feeling, like I am painting a room from scratch. I have a very curious, can-do attitude that sees the limitless possibilities with the articles around me. I perceive beauty in everything, even in those that may not be beautiful,” she admits.

Jo likewise reveals that the art of composition is one of her strengths and she possesses a gift for blending colors. “Once I have established the theme, I edit. I hate clutter. Aside from the flowers and lighting, the candles, the drapes for ceilings, walls and tents, ribbons and fabrics, even the uniform of the wait staff have to be orchestrated with care.”

Attention to detail is also an acknowledged asset. “My critical eye doesn’t miss anything that seems not right or perhaps does not look good. And my hands never know when to stop. I get completely immersed in what I am doing and my projects are always my baby,” she proudly declares.

Flowers and lights are Jo’s most important and favorite tools. With them she has created spectacular settings for unforgettable celebrations. For one wedding, she converted a hotel ballroom into a lavish art deco inspired hall with a phalanx of long tables with tall silver candelabras – some 80 of them, each one topped with nine globed candles festooned with orchids – creating lush settings with white French tulips, white orchids, white roses, white calla lilies and white amaryllis. Hundreds of hypnotic lights suffused the area with a soft celestial glow never seen before by veterans of royal palace receptions and state dinners who gaped in awe at the visual splendor.

Jo is very particular about her flowers. She sources them from all over the Philippines, most especially Baguio and Tagaytay, complemented by suppliers from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Argentina, Ecuador, Korea, China and Taiwan. She always prefers them in their pure, naked form, even removing leaves from roses, tulips and other blooms so they will stand out and not be crowded by foliage, which is usually utilized as fillers.

Carnation is her flower of choice – most specifically the chartreuse ones – because she says they are versatile, look clean, appeal to both sexes and blend well with others such as roses and even tropical flowers. Bunched with roses, it is elegant. Put alongside even the lowly achuete, though informal, it is lovely just the same. The result of the mix produces the desired effect.

Where does she derive the inspiration for her fantastic arrangements? “I am most inspired when they completely and absolutely trust me. I earnestly brainstorm with them and once there is a meeting of the minds, I go on with my work. There is no stopping me, for I am able to give full rein to my creativity, as they leave everything up to me. It is quite the opposite with my corporate clients. I need to present a mock-up, a requirement, for they have to know exactly how the final design will look like. They are not inclined to surprises,” she laughs.

In the 14 years that Jo has been in the industry, she has never turned down a client or met one she didn’t like, adding that she is blessed that they admire her previous works and they do their homework before they come to enlist her services.

Not all of her projects are elegant affairs, some are whimsical. In between those high-society, big-ticket engagements, she creates floral bouquets and even handles cover styling for magazines for the fun of it. “A bonus is that once-upon-a-time clients eventually become friends,” she gushes.

The youngest of three children, Manila-born Jo says her father is into marketing who loves to take photographs both of nature and people, as well as objects he composed into a still life. She describes her mother, a former Miss Dumaguete, as “a beauty with impeccable taste.”

Among her childhood memories, she vividly recalls that at five, she watched enthralled whenever an uncle hosted lavish parties in his home.

“These were very chi-chi get-togethers attended by the beautiful people – everyone was dressed up, dolled up. It was just beautiful,” she enthuses. She absorbed all these and even at an early age she already had this fixation with flowers.

Jo took up advertising at the University of Santo Tomas, but upon graduation discovered soon enough that she did not enjoy working in that particular field.

She became the protégé of Teng Roma, whose Emphasis Salon proved to be a good training ground.

She relates, “Teng was very progressive and opened my way of thinking. He had excellent PR with clients and took care of his people. I likewise learned to perform best under pressure and finish what had to be done within the shortest span of time.”

Grateful for that stint, strangely enough, she still felt rather lost and empty. As she whiled away time at home and in some friends’ houses, she pretended she was an events coordinator and started to assemble a composite set complete with flowers picked from the garden, little white balloons, paper lanterns and used bangkitos for buffet tables.

“It was all fun and games for me. But once accomplished, they all exclaimed, ‘By George, she’s got it!’ So I thought, why not do it for a living?” she asks.

She turned professional when she handled the most talked-about media launch of one of the sterling avant garde restaurants in the then newly-opened Greenbelt 2.

Assisted only by her driver, yaya and lavandera and using potted flowers, she showed what it took to transform the envisioned intimate venue.

This earned favorable reviews from discerning members of media and served notice that a new talent had emerged on the scene. The word spread – and how!

This debut was followed by other high profile events such as christenings, birthdays, engagement parties, weddings and anniversaries. Name the celebratory occasion, Jo has done it.

She has likewise an impressive list of corporate projects, among them product launches, company anniversaries, plant inaugurations and expansion programs. She has kept a low profile, allowing her work to speak for itself.

“If I were not an events stylist, I would be an interior designer doing stately homes. I love to throw together lavish fabrics and antique furniture, select the most unique and eye-catching accessories to come up with an enchanting abode that would fulfill the owner’s fantasy. I can do all that except the math,” she reveals.

Jo’s formula for success: “Love what you do, treat everyone who works with you fairly and they will stay forever. I am lucky with the same core workers for years – they are excellent and they do care.”

When asked if there is still something she aspires for, very modestly, Jo muses, “I am already living my dream.” When pressed, she sighs, “A royal wedding would be fabulous indeed.”