By Maggie F. Francisco It was way back in 1997 when celebrated model-turned-designer Tina Maristela-Ocampo opened the first-ever store of i2i New York in Robinsons Galleria with husband Ricco Ocampo. Back then, when people wanted to buy a pair of sunglasses, they’d have to go to optical stores. So for people to see a kiosk selling products, naturally, everybody assumed it was just a temporary pop-up store. “They thought it was going to be an introduction and that everything would be done in a few days,” said Tina in an exclusive interview at Manila House. “My husband and I are really into things that make you happy,” she replied when asked about the beginnings of the eyewear brand. “Just like the Japanese type of purchasing, there’s an art to opening the plastic tumbler that you get when you buy a pair. So when we opened in Robinsons—wow! The line was so long. People couldn’t believe how inexpensive it was it was packaged so well.” For many years, the eyewear brand has been known for its hip and trendy yet affordable sunglasses. So when it comes to choosing brand ambassadors, they make sure that they imbibe the image of i2i. “We’ve had Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Jericho Rosales—they were very young and quite new in show business.” Fast forward to June 2017, i2i revealed its latest brand ambassador in Daniel Padilla. Although Daniel’s photos have been seen in stores and across social media, it’s only now that i2i formally introduced him as the brand ambassador. Known for always wearing sunglasses as his signature look, it’s pretty obvious why they chose Daniel—but it’s really more than just Daniel’s love for sunglasses. Tina explained, “i2i has always been committed to authenticity and truth. And we want to connect with a celebrity endorser who really imbibes the same mission-vision. And who else is a user of eyewear, day and night?” More than just being the brand’s endorser, Tina and the i2i team decided to take it a step further and offered to do a collaboration. Daniel, of course, jumped at the opportunity when he met with the brand. “Nung tinanong ako kung gusto ko bang makipag-collaborate, why not?” revealed the 22-year-old actor. “It was a chance for me to share my designs with everybody.” Daniel’s DJP Collection was inspired by his recent travels, as well as Hollywood style icons such as Johnny Depp and the late Steve McQueen. “Itong collection na ito, simple lang pero may dating. Style ko talaga ‘yan. And I think, ang maganda dito, kahit ano pang personality mo, may makikita kang salamin para sa’yo.” All the pieces in the DJP Collection use nylon and polycarbonate materials, making them lightweight, hypo-allergenic, and impact-resistant. Featuring optically-clear frames that do not obstruct the field of vision and lenses that underwent UV treatment to protect eyes from the harmful rays of the sun, the collection is a steal for prices between P370 and P460. Daniel’s involvement in the creative process surprised Tina. She admitted, “He was so involved and he was very passionate about it. He would tell me, ‘Tita, itong mga lenses na ito, pwede natin i-partner sa frames na ito.’ And I would ask, ‘Ha, pwede ba ‘yan?’ And then, of course, it worked—people are reacting to it, people love it.” How hard was it for Daniel to do this collaboration? It wasn’t, really. Daniel said, “Yung goal namin talaga ay ma-share yung collection sa mga tao para magsuot sila ng magagandang salamin.” The bottom line: Daniel and i2i want people to wear what they want to wear. “Hindi mo kailangan tumingin sa style ko or sa style ng iba. Isuot mo kung ano ang gusto mong isuot. Kung ano feeling mo na ikaw, wear it. Wear you.” So what’s next? For i2i, it’s all about staying true and committed to its customers and addressing the different needs of different people. For Daniel, well, who knows? You might just see him do another collaboration. You’re just going to have to wait and see.   For complete store listing and more info, like i2iPHOfficial on Facebook, follow @i2i_ph on Twitter and @i2iph.official on Instagram