Mom and Daughter

MANILA, Philippines - Sisters or brothers dressing up alike have become a common sight, but it takes real chic sense and fashion power for Moms and daughters to dress alike. This in a nutshell led Marissa Ampil-Mendoza to the fashion business. With KATRICEwear, she brings to life mom and children’s fashion.

Marissa and her six-year-old daughter Katrice Annika love to shop matching clothes in an effort to look alike since most people tell them that they don’t. “People were noticing our matching outfits and they encouraged me to make my own matching outfits. My hobby later turned into my business,” Marissa says.

Last year, two of her friends invited her to share a booth in Expo Mom. This served as a good venue to introduce KATRICEwear.

KATRICEwear started as a brand of matching outfits for mothers and daughters. Due to market demand, the business expanded to include matching outfits for mothers and sons, fathers and sons, and fathers and daughters who enjoy dressing up.

“My clothes are not the usual cutesy outfits you see around. My clothes are a bit grown-up, trendy and quirky – something that the mothers would wear themselves,” Marissa says.

She adds that KATRICEwear carries exclusivity that clients enjoy with only one or two pieces per size and color made. And to complete the style, KATRICEwear also has bags and soon footwear.

More than just dressing up, KATRICEwear also presents fashion bonding. “It makes the children feel special since they can wear something that their Mommy or Daddy is wearing. Some clients joked that it is very easy to spot who their kids are at a party or at the mall when they are wearing the same outfit,” Marissa says.

For parent-kid tandems to remain in style, Marissa advices “have fun dressing up, not to get stuck in A style that they have always been wearing years back, and experiment with styles and colors.”

She notes as a pleasant surprise that kids as young as four years old choose their clothes themselves.

“What is more surprising is the fact that the kids would choose the more daring and experimental colors such as black and white, and purple-lime over the usual pink and lavender. Kids are now teaching their mothers to be more experimental and stylish,” Marissa says.

More than just being a business venture, KATRICEwear enables Marissa to spend more time with her daughter Katrice. “I left my very rewarding career to spend more time with my daughter who was growing up closer to her yaya and Dad than to me. Now I spend as much time with my daughter as possible. I even bring her to my meetings, bank errands, delivery to clients, sourcing fabrics and selling at bazaars,” Marissa says.

Before becoming a full-time mom-preneur, Marissa worked with a local company that designs and manufactures clothing for popular British children’s brands. She headed the product development, sales and merchandising and sales team in the UK.

As a mother to Katrice, Marissa shares that she is the disciplinarian type. “I show Katrice that things are not easy. I show her that I work hard for something that I want. I work despite being tired and sick, and despite seeing my friends partying.”

“I teach her responsibility. If she does something wrong, she has to make amends to right the wrong. If she commits to do something on a certain date, she has to make good on her commitments. No excuses,” she adds.

A good girl deserves reward, Marissa explains. “Whenever she gets perfect scores in her exams and high grades in her report card, we do the things that she likes – playing mini golf, buying toys and musical instruments, and shopping.”

For Marissa and Katrice, bonding moments mean watching television shows together, going out of town, cuddling and shopping. With KATRICEwear as their business, Marissa and Katrice add another favorite to their list – helping parent-kid tandems to be fashionably in tune.