Yes, I had to (would you have preferred She Sells Seychelles by the Seashore as title?! I was tempted though! ;)) But before that, here’s a quick anecdote…
Last week — the shock of my life — our formal high school principal sent me a text message out of the blue. She referred to me by my maiden name, and asked if she could give me a call. When I first read her note, I had a moment of panic. Flashbacks of my high school days came rushing in thinking, “what am I in for NOW?!” After that I realized: it might not be me! But what was Sam in for?! Could she have caused so much of a stir in Kinder that our HIGH SCHOOL principal had to call me?
As it turned out, Ms. Basas had retired several years back and was now working with one of my clients on the project that I was assigned to. Whew!
We had a quick coffee session a few days later to discuss the project (and she did laugh gamely when I told her what had gone through my head), but overall she seemed quite pleased and fairly confident with the proposed outcome. “Iba talaga pag galing sa atin” was her comment, which roughly translates to a compliment about our upbringing as alumna of the school (we spent 14 years of our life there after all!). She says it shows in our work and in what we do, and she sees it in a lot of the alumna that she encounters.
I see what she means when I look at how some of my fellow batchmates turned mompreneurs carry out their businesses. One of them is Casey Kierulf-Marty, who has brought the vintage-inspired well-loved Seychelles feminine footwear into the country. She and her partner Pia Barrios-Miranda fell in love with the brand in the US and thought it would be nice to work together and bring it here. They felt there was a unique and untapped marketing for solid, snappy and super stylish shoes, and they were right! Only a few months in, Seychelles is already making its mark in the Philippine fashion scene.
I’d heard of the brand when I we lived in Chapel Hill (they’re distributed in Nordstrom, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters to name a few of their US retail partners), but I never really got the chance to try on a pair. Well… come to think of it, with two children in tow everywhere, I wouldn’t enter those shops much in fear that we’d wreak havoc on the displays. And we were always running to the fountains, the playground and the food. But anyway! It’s nice that I get a second chance here. 🙂
Last night was the Seychelles Shoe party held at Itsie Bitsie in Rockwell. Everything looked and felt well thought through. The displays on the window front and inside showcased the best of the Seychelles collection as they ran through the entire store.
Even the merchandising was (is) very vintage-inspired! So cute. 🙂
I had my eye on a few and I tried on a pair. Or two. Okay okay… it was three. But they fit well and are really comfy! They feel very well-made too!
Casey says you can run in them — and they’re heels! I should try this one time. Throughout the party she was talking to each guest about the pair that they were interested in, or the one they wanted to try on. It was customer service at its finest!
When I entered, the thought in my head was that it was definitely a #throwback Thursday pushed into the present. There were so many familiar faces from high school and college that came to support Casey and Pia. And it definitely reinforces the saying that Manila is so small; I had gone with a few fellow SoMoms, and everyone knew everyone else that was in there too! I guess that’s one way of saying that my worlds are coming together, yes?
Congratulations again to Pia and Casey! The Seychelles Pop Up Shop will be at the Itsie Bitsie Boutique, Joya Tower, from today to the 6th. Be sure to drop by and get yourself a pair!
Find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @SeychellesPH.