Tags: Accessories Keep Collective Lifestyle Blog Lifestyle Blogger Lifestyle Blogger in Manila Philippines Meg Hernandez Meghann Hernandez Metro Mom Mommy blogger Mommy blogger in Manila Philippines Mommy Finds mompreneur motherhood Stella & Dot Style
As digital media opens doors to a culture of understanding between personal opinions and preferences, the fashion and retail industry have begun revolutionizing the way they do business by involving their customers in the creative process. Makers and sellers of all kinds of merchandise – from clothes, shoes to accessories – have discovered the value of giving their consumers a free hand in creating products that are unique to them, or personalizing the existing selections to fit their style and identity.
Making it personal makes fashion more “relatable” to everyone, and this brand principle is what I love most about Keep Collective and Stella & Dot — accessory lines from the USA which cater and tailor to individual tastes and diversity.
Melissa Puno, better known as Happy, represents the two brands in the Philippines as Stylist and Designer. She says, “Stella and Dot is all about affordable but high end, versatile jewelry. We offer pieces that you can basically wear in more than two ways. Keep Collective, on the other hand, is the sister company of Stella & Dot. It is all about creating your very own unique piece that tells your own unique story. I love that these brands are affordable and they cater to all kinds of styles.”
Photos courtesy of Happy Puno
As a mom, Happy says the brand not only appeals to her as a loyal customer, but also as an artist and career woman. “I’m a homeschooling Mom and housewife. I feel blessed that I have an option to stay at home and focus on the family. Family is my priority but I’ve always wanted to do something else on the side.”
“When I discovered Stella & Dot and Keep Collective, I immediately fell in love with the brands. I love how this venture has allowed me to work at my own pace in my own home. As they would put it, they believe in flexible entrepreneurship. I love how unique the pieces are and how it allows you to create your own meaningful piece. I knew that a lot of women will love this brand, so I wanted to share it with my friends and earning extra income was also a perk! I have been a designer with Keep Collective for almost five months now. I didn’t have any formal lessons on accessories, but, I guess, being a cake designer, I just have an eye for beautiful things.”
“I love how I have the support system to be able to style and design for clients,” Happy explains. “I don’t make the jewelry myself, I represent the companies as a Stylist and Designer. I help clients pick and choose pieces that represent their style and their personality. With Keep Collective, I start out by asking questions about my clients’ life, what is meaningful to them. I then suggest pieces and designs that I think they would like. Sometimes it takes days before a customer finally decides on a design. With this job, I am able to prioritize being a Mom and a wife, and focus on homeschooling my kids.”
Check out Happy’s jewelry samples through http://www.stelladot.com/sites/melissacpuno and http://www.keepcollective.com/with/happypuno. Some samples are also posted on Instagram accounts @stelladot_happypuno and @happypuno_keepcollective. For orders, text or Viber 0918-9856656, or email happypuno.stelladot@gmail.com, happypuno.keepcollective@gmail.com.
Photos courtesy of Happy Puno.
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Story published on my newspaper column in Edge Davao.
