CEBU, Philippines - “I go for instincts,†Josefa Dianne Espera says of her three latest collections.
I have now her attention after several unreturned calls.
“Sorry, in a meeting. If you haven’t asked, your aunt (our term of endearment, referring to herself) now decorates and coordinates weddings, so I could avoid crawling in poverty,†her text message reads.
Yet in between those two new appointments, three inspirations are out. She’s an accessory designer first.
To name a few, Toni Gonzaga, Kim Chiu, Maja Salvador: All her celebrity clients who’ve also rocketed her design career to show business.
As designer of Sepa Accessories Cebu, her own label, she always incorporates personal reference. “Mostly, my collections are colored because they reflect so much of my personality—loud and bubbly—and other pure emotions,†Espera goes on.
Take a cue from the Laviva line-up: Gemstones are margined with gold and turquoise beads, double-braided strings in bright and dark combination.
“Inspirations come randomly. For the Laviva collection, I wanted to create a stunning piece for the woman on-the-go. This particular collection is inspired by women who work hard and who party harder, as well. It’s something they can wear from day to night,†she describes.
“As for the Patma collection, it is something inspired by nature: relax, laid-back vibe of this beautiful city of ours, inspired by women who travel a lot. When creating this collection, I imagined women in linen shorts, a nice white button-down polo and bejeweled thong—a woman without pressure, just someone who is enjoying the little things in life like a lunch out with good friends and cocktails by the beach,†she continues.
The Artemana is the future, a promise of intellectual extravagance.
And yes, it would soon be news she’d probably break in our usual swardspeak conversation.
Sepa Accessories Cebu
25 Visitacion Street, Cebu City
Facebook.com/sepa-accessories