Purposeful shopping for Christmas
Checking out bazaars for your Christmas shopping can be more meaningful. Aside from finding good bargains and hidden gems, it can be a way to support a charitable institution like the Zonta Club Makati and Environs, which runs several programs for the different sectors of society. The Zonta Club, also known as Las FilipinaZ, gets the bulk of its funds from the Christmas fair it puts up every year.
“This is one of our important fundraising events,” said former Zonta president Maritess Pineda at the Oct. 22 launch of FilipinaZ fair. “This is where we get our funds for Marillac Hills, one of the long-running centers for abused women. We have our scholarship programs and livelihood projects.”
Since starting the FilipinaZ fair in 2013 as a rebrand of its original bazaar, she explained, her fellow organizers have been trying to offer something new. The 2024 edition, which will run from Nov. 16 to 18 at The Fifth at Rockwell events hall in Makati City, highlights up-and-coming entrepreneurs while giving equal importance to its regular vendors and those that practice fair trade.
It will also pay tribute to some fashion icons, notably Pitoy Moreno, and at the same time, give a platform to new designers through the Young Woman in Design grant.
Zonta Club president Joanne Zapanta-Andrada told Lifestyle that 80 percent of the vendors are new, and pointed out, “Just because they’re new doesn’t mean they’re not tested. We’ve gone through stringent vetting, a series of vetting each and every potential vendor. We rejected quite a number to be able to come up with this selection.”
Pandemic brand
One of those who made the cut is Nobela Jewelry. Owner Liz Lanuzo, who enjoyed visiting the fair last year, expressed excitement on finally joining this time. She said FilipinaZ is her fourth fair overall, and she’s thankful for each opportunity to showcase her wares that aim to tell a personal story through jewelry, like a novel.
“Nobela Jewelry is a pandemic baby,” she said on opening her business at the height of the health crisis in 2020. “I started selling jewelry not knowing that people would love it and just buy it online. Later on, we realized that we really want our jewelry to be experienced also because we’re only on the website and Instagram.
“I feel that jewelry is something that you really have to see. Jewelry is such a personal item. When you see it, you know it’s for you. Being in a fair like this allows us to showcase our unique designs, our limited collections. So people can ask questions and try the jewelry on.”
Lanuzo happily reported that the results have been “pretty good so far” as her brand gets to reach its “right market,” which appreciates bespoke jewelry, from fine silver to 14K gold pieces and gems.
Current trends, she noted, include nameplate necklaces that capitalize on the renewed interest in the “Sex and the City” TV series, which ran from 1998 to 2004. Another trend is layering jewelry of different materials, from baby pearls to chunky items.
There’s also a growing interest in jewelry pieces that are customized to remember a loved one who has passed on.
For gift-giving this Christmas, Lanuzo suggested getting the important women in your life a necklace that spells the receiver’s name, or maybe a brooch for a more professional look. She also recommended giving baby pearls, which project a “younger vibe” compared to the usual ones that are bigger in size and thus look more imposing. Then there are the sterling silver pieces that cost less than gold but are still as classy, and they don’t tarnish.
Priority buy
For her part, Zapanta-Andrada shared a few tips to maximize a visit to FilipinaZ: “Before going to the fair, have an idea of what is your priority buy, like a particular pair of shoes or clothes, so shopping becomes more purposeful.
“Bring a notebook if you’re old school or use your phone in storing the number of stalls that interest you and once you’ve passed through all, go back to them to make your purchases.”
She added, “Get calling cards or contact numbers of the vendors, if you really like the items, so you can still buy from them after the fair. This way you can help the young upstarts. Talk to each vendor especially for bulk orders to establish relationships.”
Take note, too, that FilipinaZ has a centralized paying system, so you don’t pay direct to the vendors. Payment is limited to using cash, debit and credit cards.
On its last day, which falls on a Monday, Zapanta-Andrada said there will be raffles and other activities to get even better deals.
