Celestina on display at her NYC showroom

In a time of economic downturn, Tina Maristela-Ocampo, the creative partner of Celestina, the global fashion and home label that bears her full name, was more than happy to announce the good news about a recent trunk show during New York Fashion Week. “It was a success!” she enthuses. “It exceeded our expectations considering the status of the global economy.” The specific object of her elation is the brand’s newly-launched Home line, which, like her chic bags and accessories, was well-received at Fashion Week.

Indeed, there are more than enough reasons for the former international model turned entrepreneur and her business director-husband, Ricco, to get excited. The retail giants of New York, such as Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, and Neiman Marcus, were all interested to represent her brand in their highly exclusive stores all over America. “There was a toss between Barneys and Bergdorf but we had to consider Barneys because of how they have taken care of my line for four years now” Ocampo says, with pride. Another pleasant surprise was Distant Origin, her favorite store in NYC, which ordered some furniture pieces at the trunk show. Neiman Marcus, meanwhile, bought pieces for 30 of its stores in the US.

Inspired by their travels all over the world, the super-stylish couple Tina and Ricco Ocampo started creating exquisitely-designed bags and accessories for the cosmopolitan market. “Celestina was created with New York in mind. This is why the label has MAYNILA NEW YORK in all its collaterals. My husband, Ricco, is really the big man in business and he believes that New York is the best place to start a business because of its commercial outlook. New York has a clear formula to build a brand--from positioning the product, to distribution, promotions, and up to even sustaining the business.”

Utilizing organic and indigenous materials from the Philippines, created by the hands of artisans from tribal communities in the south and the Cordilleras, Celestina offered a fresh and unique perspective to the global market. Beyond its superior design and craftsmanship, every Celestina bag and accessory tells a story.

With shared vision and hard work, combined with strategic positioning and marketing, the brand has slowly but surely penetrated the highly competitive New York market. It was when Celestina was being sold at Barneys New York and had landed a feature on the “Last Look” page of US Vogue, that the couple knew that Celestina had arrived in the global market. “Sometimes, no matter how beautiful your product is, when you don’t get the nod from gods like them, it can be harder,” explains Ocampo. “Vogue is everyone’s bible, Barneys is everyone’s church–they will always be the best reference for any store around America and even around the world.”

With the global success of Celestina, other Filipino brands were inspired to break into the international market. “I came up with a small store in Greenbelt 5 mainly to inspire creative Filipinos to try it outside of the Philippines. I continue to be vocal about how Celestina made it and I am happy that there are a couple of Filipino designers now who have made initial steps to conquer fear. I even shared with them my New York press agent, Artus Concepcion, who is taking care of the brand by making sure my exposure is consistent.” (The New York-based publicist and strategist Concepcion is currently handling seven other world-class Filipino brands in addition to Celestina, namely, Pepito Albert accessories, Roseanne de Pampelonne, BENCH, BELO, Anton Mendoza Interiors, Tweetie de Leon Accessories and Rajo Laurel.)

Imparting the valuable lessons she learned in this highly competitive business, Ocampo shares, “Press is important, celebrity hype is important but it can only be enough of a support to your product. Before anything else, the product must be able to answer a need or an alternative for your target market. It is equally important to catch the attention by introducing a product that is unique and fresh. Although it is important to be loyal to your design aesthetics, there is a bigger need to create excitement or to grow the line to another level.

“Don’t forget that deadlines are taken seriously by customers so Filipinos should never get trapped into the mañana habit, more so the bahala na attitude. Lastly, listen to the buyers of the stores where you are represented, they are the ones who will lead you to a balance between art and commerce.”

Tina Maristela-Ocampo’s New York State of Mind

• New York for me is to be energized, to be motivated, to create and to compete. New York is food, fashion, and ideas.

• New York is more like the “business fashion capital of the world.” In NYC there is a need to find a good balance between fashion and commerce. It is not like London where designers are more theatrical in their approach to fashion and presentation. It is not like Paris where fashion is more glamorous and proper but can be as boring as their little black dresses. It is not like Japan where people are loyal to a certain aesthetic. New York is always restless and eager for change but very conscious of how they get the merchandise moving. They adhere to commercialism.

• We have a mantra for New York: “Discover to acquire!” Nothing is planned and everything is by chance. Ricco and I love to discover and we normally satisfy that craving by finding things from the flea markets or antique stores in NYC.

• If there is anything about our personal style that’s influenced by NYC’s way of living, it is the discipline to only acquire what is important to us... an interesting blend of modern and classic, a mix of unusual and elegantly raw pieces.