IT'S THE SMALL THINGS By Alex M. Eduque The two could go hand in hand, I suppose. Because with the privilege of becoming your own boss comes the responsibility of customizing your own hours (and to an extent making your work day bespoke) to make sure you are still productive and efficient. Many times, it’s actually much more difficult to separate work from pleasure hours just because you are now responsible for your time round the clock. With the desire of wanting to preserve heritage and become their own boss after years of working in the corporate world, childhood friends Kathy Gregorio-Añover and Kathy Sarabia-Babst, both of whom grew up in Iloilo City and have now settled in Manila started their bespoke jewelry business Kathy & Kathy in 2014. Both jewelry enthusiasts who were heavily influenced by their grandmothers and are deep rooted in their hometown, they decided to attempt to bring back the old art and appreciation of fine-jewelry craftsmanship, and transform their own heritage into keepsakes. This would form the backbone, and the central inspiration of the designs of the jewelry their brand was going to produce. With an emphasis on sentimental values and emotional attachment to keepsakes passed on from generation to generation (values that both Kathys were raised with), they wanted this to be ingrained in every piece of jewelry they would be producing for their clients. Which is why, despite the more difficult and challenging route of stirring away from retail jewelry, and making everything personalized for their clients in order to try and cater to their customization requests, they have satisfied the hearts of many, and have essentially yielded more rewarding results. One must note that while the brand has quite a treasure trove of prototypes well under its care at the moment to showcase their aesthetic and craftsmanship to clients, all the pieces they sell are created from scratch to create a one hundred percent bespoke piece of jewelry – one that does not merely tell the story of their brand and the heritage behind it, but that most unique tale of the individual who had the piece made, with every element as a representation of an emotion, or of something that is of significance and that matters. It does not only make for a more personalized story to pass on to the next generation, but one that strengthens heritage and legacy for years to come. Fast-forward to four years’ worth of prototypes and a showroom later, after getting their big break at the MaArte fair (previously held at the Rockwell tent, and what is now Artefino) – meeting clients, gaining their trust, creating, collaborations, and simply given the proper platform to showcase their craft – Kathy & Kathy has finally found their niche market and, just like they have with their craft, have fine-tuned, and are now aware of their strengths and weaknesses. A business that began as an Instagram account has gained a deeper understanding of its own brand DNA, focusing on where they should be and what they should be producing, and simultaneously, what they should veer away from, and cannot be a part of. And this is perhaps one of their key recipes to success – their humility to acknowledge who they truly are as an equal to who they’re not; a brand that stays genuine and true to their roots, with enough flexibility to adjust to the needs of their clients, but without veering and steering away too much from who they are, and know themselves to be. The two have undeniably come a long way from the very first locket they produced four years ago, which continues to be one of their best-sellers to this day. Apart from focusing on the bespoke and personalized service they are able to offer their clients, not to mention the quality of their craft and the stones they source (both locally and abroad), their ultimate goal is to be able to educate consumers on the value of custom handcrafted jewelry, while appreciating and believing in the capabilities of Filipino goldsmiths. They also hope to encourage a new generation of jewelry enthusiasts not to be intimidated by purchasing jewelry, and to support the local jewelry industry wholeheartedly. After all, there is nothing more charming than wearing your heritage, and being proud of your culture. *** To view designs of Kathy & Kathy, you may visit their Instagram page, @kathyandkathybespoke. For questions, inquiries, and/or to set appointments to visit their showroom, you may send an e-mail to [email protected]. Their newly opened showroom is at the ground floor of Metrostar building, Metropolitan Avenue, Makati (near the BPI Ayala Avenue extension branch). Please note that visits to their showroom are strictly by appointment only.