Neil Felipp puts down roots in Manila
The entrance to Room 256 at The Peninsula Manila could be any one of the other nondescript hotel doors lining the carpeted hall—if not for a tell-tale sign, a sleeping mermaid brass knocker lounging atop a wooden scallop shell, that intimates, “Neil Felipp is here.”
The mythical creature is a poignant touch, emblematic of the eponymous brand. After all, the Siren minaudiere was the first bag the designer, born Neil Felipp San Pedro, ever made, a request from his late mother, Luz Filipinas Suarez San Pedro. The handbag featuring the signature brass clasp atop blue capiz became the centerpiece of the already elegant all-blue ensemble she was going to wear for a formal event.
“I went back to my childhood and tried to remember all the memories of my mom when she brought me to the beach,” said the Cebu-based international designer, a third-generation brass and jewelry smith. The bag was an instant hit. “And that’s how history started.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Siren minaudiere made history again when it famously landed in Hollywood, clasped between the aristocratic fingers of Astrid Leong (played by Gemma Chan) in “Crazy Rich Asians,” this time in black. The scene was particularly moving for Felipp, who is particularly close to his maternal grandmother, Eppie Suarez, calling her one of his biggest influences.
The Siren and his other equally striking collections have now come to Metro Manila, with the launch of the Neil Felipp Boutique on Aug. 22, his mother’s birth anniversary. She died last December. “So as a way of honoring her, we made a beautiful tree in the middle of the lobby.”
The resplendently golden tree was made of dried yellow flowers that will also be used in his upcoming pop-ups, first at The Podium on Sept. 1 and at Power Plant Mall on Oct. 3.
According to him, it symbolizes “setting roots, and remembering who we are.” And then next year, the brand’s 15th anniversary, will be all about pure imagination.
New chapter
The pristine room at The Pen is just the perfect size, one wall covered in his various framed art from friends, clients and travels. The wide window peeks over a pleasant view of Makati Avenue. The other half of the room showcases his small but stunning array of minaudieres, like the iconic Oceania, recognized by the Design Center of the Philippines as a contribution to design history in the past 50 years and it was showcased in the National Museum for the 50th year.
But the boutique now also houses his collaborations with Kelvin Morales (nostalgic jackstone-inspired accessories unveiled just a couple of months ago), Buddy Lagdameo (an exquisite combination of Philippine hardwood home décor and giant metallic arthropods) and Jefferson Si (Felipp’s first foray into shoemaking).
“We wanted to create a new chapter for the brand where we are more collaborative, as well as uplifting our fellow artisanal communities, like the shoe industry in Marikina and the furniture makers that we find here in Mandaluyong,” Felipp told Lifestyle. “We want to work more closely with our local community while at the same time showcasing it globally.”
Felipp added that they want to share the network that they’ve created globally for the past 14 years with fellow Filipinos “with the concept of ‘Kapwa.’”
For him, his artisans are more than just employees, some of whom he even grew up with. “I always want to give back to their families, who also care for my family. I know their capabilities and they know my capabilities, and together we can create something very beautiful,” he added.
Felipp said he wants to create a different narrative—not only for the Philippine brand but the Asian brand as a whole—to show that it has always been world-class.
One of their missions, he said, has always been to work locally, but with a global vision. “As much as possible, especially everything that you see here, even all the way down to the packaging, we want it to be within the Philippines. It’s also our way of giving back to the country.”
Collabs
For the collaborations, Felipp experimented with other mediums. “Shoes was one of my most challenging. There’s a lot of new learnings. But it’s a great challenge to also learn something new.”
The result is heart-stoppingly stunning: a fierce golden dragon wound around each heel—a reimagination of the Suzy Wong minaudiere in rich-colored satin stilettos. The collab is the renowned wedding shoe designer Si’s first ready-to-wear.
It went quite similarly with Lagdameo, who has been collecting and working on Philippine hardwood from all over the country for decades as well as for his restoration works on ancestral homes.
The blending of mediums takes the already refined pieces to ritzy territory.
When Morales brought his latest collection to Felipp’s boutique in Cebu, the jackstone embroidery on some his pieces caught the latter’s eye. Turns out, they both have memories of playing jackstones when they were children. Felipp explained that young boys back then were automatically considered to be “effem” (effeminate) if they played the game.
The capsule collection consists of playfully elegant minaudieres, chokers, bracelets and cuff links.
Neil Felipp also launched four limited-edition Siren minaudieres in Klimt, inspired by Gustav Klimt, as well as three perfumes inspired by his minaudieres: Eau de Siren (sampaguita, kalachuchi and mangoes), Heart of Suzy Wong (osmanthus tea leaves and pili nuts) and Kiss of Medusa and Midas (oud).
The perfumes, he said, is best way to wear Neil Felipp every day.
Despite the global attention the brand has gotten, “It’s still very surreal to see, to hear, to be accepted, to be acknowledged, especially with the contribution that we have been doing,” said Felipp. “And more than anything, it’s pushing us further. How do we go further with the brand and, at the same time, how do we uplift our communities?”
