Strength, elegance and purpose
At the Mister and Miss Chinatown Global pageant at Manila Hotel in January 2025, personable twentysomethings strutted onstage, representing their nations and their Chinese ethnicity. But for me, the star was neither Ms. Philippines nor Mr. Malaysia, the eventual winners, but the designer of their crowns, Nannette Chang Ibasco of Hong Kong-based company Christelle by Nannette. Clad in an off-the-shoulder fuchsia gown, Nannette exuded the grace I remembered from my schoolmate years ago.
Behind the glamor is an inspiring story of resilience. Calling herself “shy in school,” Nannette sometimes scrimped on meals, excusing herself from recess and limiting her circle of friends since she could not afford to eat out.
After her father’s death, her mother continued working for a corporation, but finances were tight. Nannette missed her college graduation because she had to work, with earnings going to her brother’s school materials rather than her toga.
When she got engaged, she did not want her mother to shoulder the bride’s dowry—and this time, heaven smiled upon her. She won a car in a bank raffle and a TV in a town fair.
Her mother-in-law knew that the couple’s complementary personalities and work ethic would enable them to thrive in difficult times. Fascinated with this craft even as a child, Nannette became an invaluable partner to her husband Isidro and their family’s jewelry business abroad. Her mother-in-law lives harmoniously with the couple today—a rare blessing, I tell Nannette.
The couple studied gemology in Los Angeles, and honed their expertise in Hong Kong, learning firsthand how to assess purity, distinguish between genuine and fake, evaluate color across the spectrum. Contrary to popular opinion, the work is painstaking—a bane for Nannette’s eyesight. “My doctor told me to stop staring at small items, but how can I stop?” she says.
Initially the business dealt wholesale with dealers, but fed up with several unethical practices, the Ibascos decided to control the operational chain, knowing they had to manufacture, aside from merely sell, quality products. They treated clients with a personalized approach.
Unlike mass-produced items such as cars or cellphones, “no two pieces of jewelry are the same, even if we use the same gems, the same design, etc.” Serving clients with integrity is the aim of the company Christelle (meaning “clear”) by Nannette.
I found another meaning for Christelle: “follower of Christ,” which aptly describes Nannette. When I tell Nannette that the key to their success is hard work, she adds, “also luck and blessing.” Nannette generously helps those in need, from friends who need steady work to the underprivileged who lack basic needs.
The enterprise supports many workers abroad, so the couple are gratified that even if they did not exert pressure on them, some of their children have chosen to help out in the family business. Their youthful energy, discerning eye, and desire to master the trade augur well for the future.
The multimedia company Chinoy TV, which showcases Chinese-Filipino culture, is the creator of the Chinatown International pageant. Nannette readily acquiesced when Chinoy TV’s Loraine and Alvin Tan asked her to create the crowns.
She says, “I feel that it is time to give back to our Filipino-Chinese community through my expertise.”
Their team in Hong Kong had barely two months, but their creative design, careful sorting and setting and meticulous production created tiaras with “artistry, elegance and purpose for [present and] future winners”—a tangible legacy, indeed.
To the pageant winners, Nannette says, “May you embody the values in each piece—strength, elegance and purpose—to inspire, bridge, create and shine, and to show the world how resilient, beautiful and full of wisdom our people are.” Nannette herself is the most tangible proof.
Queena N. Lee-Chua is on the Board of Directors of Ateneo’s Family Business Center. Get her print book “All in the Family Business” at Lazada or Shopee, or e-book at Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks. Contact the author at blessbook.chua@gmail.com.
