By Liza Ilarde @ilardeliza on Instagram If you were around in the 90s and the early noughties, then you for sure had shopped at Mix, the now-defunct multi-brand store in Greenbelt. Run by then-It Couple Ricco and Tina Ocampo, Mix introduced Manila to mid-range designer brands like Cynthia Rowley, Tracy Reese, Milly, Pleats Please, Ann Demeulemeester, and Helmut Lang, among many others. Fast forward to today. Ricco and Tina have reinvented themselves—he running the members-only Manila House, she designing logo-less luxury handbags called Celestina. This time it’s their eldest daughter Betina Ocampo, now 28, who has become the darling of the fashion world, thanks to her eponymous label, which she launched in 2013. Famous for its boxy tops with an east-meets-west aesthetic, the Betina T-shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets feature indigenous materials like piña and mother of pearl; and are hand-embellished with embroidery and beads. They were sold at Barneys New York and Anthropologie (now online at betina-ny.com) and have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle magazines. Because the Betina tops don’t come cheap (a T-shirt can easily set you back US$375), the young designer wanted to be able to reach out to customers her age. “The work that goes into those pieces is very intricate and time-consuming, so it requires a high price point,” revealed Betina in an exclusive interview. “And one of the saddest things about that is that I couldn’t really sell to my friends. They would always be waiting for the next sale.” She wanted to come out with a product line that was more affordable and that’s when she decided on a shoe line called Daily Schedule. Quietly launched in October last year via Instagram posts on Ricco’s account, the immensely popular flat mule just exploded. From taking orders via texts and DMs, Daily Schedule started being sold at weekend bazaars, trunk shows, and pop-up shops. The initial collection featured plush velvet mules decorated with fabric flowers, embroidered leaves, and that millennial favorite, beaded pineapples. Introductory price: P1,800. To decide on the mule as its first offering was pure genius. “The mule was so hot then that we just kept doing it,” said Betina. “Since it’s a trend-driven line, we wanted to focus on whatever the hottest silhouette was.” The shoes are made in China in a factory they had already been working with for two years. “But it was our first time to do a mass-based product, so we’re still working out a lot of kinks. We haven’t gone completely full blast and are open to feedback from .” Last April at Manila House, Daily Schedule launched a new shape: the open-toe slide in multiple colors, patterns, and embellishments. “Every month, we launch about five to 10 designs in around two to three colorways,” shared Betina. “When you work with thousands of quantities, you have to be very smart about the trends. It’s about knowing who our customer is and knowing what women want now. That’s what’s the most exciting thing actually about this whole process; I’m really starting to enjoy this part of the business.” Eventually, they plan to release wedge and sandal styles. So has she succeeded in what she set out to do—to reach out to a younger market with a more accessible and affordable product? “I’m still working on it, but so far it’s been very successful!” said Betina. As proof, she added, “This morning, I wore this dress thinking I could just come here and pick a shoe I could wear for today. But everything that would have matched my outfit was sold out!” She laughed, “I honestly don’t have anything from the new collection because they sell out so fast!”   Daily Schedule is available at ph.dailyschedule-ny.com  and as DSNY at zalora.com.ph. For more info, follow @dailyschedulenyph on Instagram