Fashion

Strozzi Rosende is Just as Colourful as Her Eponymous Accessories Line

In an industry where perfectly recreated prototypes are a norm, the quirky imperfection of Strozzi’s pieces might prove that handmade is the new luxury.

Strozzi Abacel Rosende greets us with a big smile and an exuberant greeting as we reached her home, which sits on top of a hill in Lilo-an. She has a cat trailing behind her—she tells us she has 12 more, some of which she’d “catnapped” from the streets. All things considered, it’s not surprising that close friends call her Meow and that cats figure prominently in the designs of her eponymous accessory line.

With a growing online following and various fashion spreads featuring creations, Strozzi’s pieces are just as packed with personality as she is—bracelet charms shaped like hot-air balloons, an octopus-shaped brooch, and a sizable necklace that looks almost like armor. It is a brand for those who want to stand out, while showing off their playful side. The collection is made from sterling silver or brass, with inlays of semi-precious stones.

Working with different materials have always been a passion for Strozzi—“Melted crayons run in my veins,” she laughs, referring to the many times she’s worked with what she could find to create something. Accessories, however, weren’t her first love.

“Honestly, I wanted to become a fashion designer, and to have my own line of garments,” she admits. But as she earned her degree in Interior Design at the University of San Carlos, she realized that her love was crafts. She took classes related to arts and crafts, going into sculpting and painting instead of fashion design and sewing.

In 2005, Strozzi’s parents encouraged her to enroll in a prototype-making metal workshop with the Cebu Fashion Accessories Manufacturers + Exporters. An intensive ten-month hands-on training period under German metal artist Ingrid Haufe proved that this was the right path for her.

From there, Strozzi took a job at a furniture company, and formed friendships with other accessories designers in the country. In fact, she was on the team for the erstwhile trade show Cebu NEXT, creating different art and furniture installments. “I also ventured into photography,” she adds.

But even then, she knew that accessories were her passion. In 2008, she launched her line on ETSY, an e-commerce platform that sells everything handmade, and wanted to reinforce the brand’s penchant for color, personality and animal figures.

“It’s about crafts-womanship,” Strozzi says with a smile. Having converted their family home into a factory of sorts, the designer is involved in all aspects of the process—from acquiring the materials and coming up with the designs, to cutting and polishing the stones and metal materials. She knows how to do everything herself, and the equipment used in manufacturing were custom-made by her father.

“It’s not just jewelry. It’s the art of telling a story through symbols. It’s creating a visual expression of a person’s uniqueness,” she answers when we ask why it was so important to keep everything handmade. And although she creates her own collections, a bulk of Strozzi’s time is dedicated to custom-made orders, such as personalized wedding giveaways. “It’s a very interesting experience, and I like to celebrate their style and appreciate their sense of creativity.”

It’s almost democratic the way Strozzi creates her line, but considering her inherent friendliness, it’s just what we expected. More than producing accessories, she is hoping to build a movement back to handmade, and the perfectly imperfect. Perhaps in a time when technology can produce flawless versions of the same thing over and over again, there is a certain luxury to having a piece created by hand especially for you.

Fashion

Salt, Silk, and Stardom: Ten Reasons Celebrities Wear Amato by Furne One

by Oj Hofer

At Take Me to the Sea, Amato by Furne One unveiled more than a resort/bridal collection — he revealed a world suspended between tides and starlight, where salt, silk, and stardom stitched themselves into every look.

Held at The Hall of the Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan, the show was a transportive experience. As waves whispered beyond the glass, Amato’s gowns swept down the runway like sirens called to shore. Here are ten reasons why global icons return — time and again — to his sea of style.

1. Salt in the Craft
His garments carry the wild grace of the sea — textured, elemental, unforgettable. Every bead, cut, and crystal tells a story shaped by emotion and intuition.

2. Silk in the Movement
Though opulent, his creations float. There’s ease in the drama — cascading motion without weight. Ideal for performers who speak through movement.

3. Stardom in the Vision
Furne doesn’t chase trends — he conjures icons. His gowns command attention while allowing the wearer’s light to radiate.

4. Salt as Spirit
There is soul in the stitching — a deep undercurrent of cultural pride and personal mythology. His work carries weight because it carries truth.

5. Silk as Spellwork
His fabrics don’t just dress — they enchant. Each piece invites touch, reverence, and awe.

6. Stardom in the Silhouette
Furne understands form. He doesn’t simply clothe a figure — he sculpts for presence. For red carpets, concert stages, and film legends.

7. Salt of the Earth
Despite global acclaim, Furne remains grounded. His humility fosters collaboration, creating space for intimacy in the creative process.

8. Silk-Wrapped Strength
There is softness, but never fragility. These gowns are fierce — veiled in elegance yet unapologetically bold.

9. Stardom as Alchemy
Wearing Amato is not mere adornment — it is transformation. A star steps into a Furne One creation and becomes mythic.

10. Salt, Silk, and the Furne Himself
Furne One is the thread. With quiet charisma and a generous spirit, he doesn’t just dress celebrities — he disarms them. And from that space of trust emerges what every artist longs for: wonder.

And in Amato’s world, wonder always wins.

Fashion designer Furne One

Fashion

Ravens, Runways, and Revelations: A Glimpse of Amato

by OJ HOFER | photo credit JOSEPH ONG | jewelry ROYAL GEM

Fashion had become as instinctive as breathing—so natural that one scarcely noticed it. Yet, after seasons adrift in sartorial limbo, the piercing peal of Birds of Prey by Amato Furne One jolted this archipelago’s fashion scene to attention. Amato’s spectacle soared beyond mundane couture, drawing me from the quiet of my atelier to the intoxicating front row at the reinvented Tops in Busay—from the low murmur of machines to the electrifying brouhaha of the style set.

: A lattice dress with an aureole, beautifully bedecked with Birds of Prey, opens the show.

: A winged bustier frames the face with bold curlicues.

: A fringe dress with a farthingale rustles mysteriously in the nocturnal stillness.

: A bell-shaped T’nalak dress, woven with vivid dreams, sways with mystery.

: A T’nalak ballgown, shrouded in black mesh, catches the moonlight like a whispered secret.

: An entrance-making tulle and T’nalak off-shoulder ensemble commands attention.

: A crystal-studded bodysuit paired with a vinyl trench coat burns with fierce intensity.

: A red lacewing butterfly emerges, shedding the remnants of a tattered cocoon.

: A fiery ensemble, cloaked in phantom glamour, leaves an unforgettable impression long after the wearer’s exit.

Amato is not merely a label; it is a visionary ideal stitched in silk and dreams, a symphony of artistry that transforms yarns, fibers, and fabric into fashion phantasmagoria. Under the deft hands of Furne One, Amato has adorned the world’s most fearless icons—Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez—women who, like his creations, embody style, strength, and spectacle. His couture is not merely worn; it takes flight, transforming the wearer into a mesmerizing apparition of fleeting beauty—a phenomenal vision that lingers long after the moment has passed.

But how does one conjure such fantastical transformations? To offer a glimpse into the mind of this visionary, we posed three playful questions:

Oj: If you were a bird, would you soar as a mighty raptor or scheme as a clever corvid?
Furne: I’d be a raven—sharp-witted, shrouded in mystery, and draped in the perfect shade of midnight. Its inky plumage matches my flair for dark romance; because even in shadows, I prefer a little drama.

Oj: What would be your most formidable power?
Furne: As a raven, I straddle the seen and unseen—transcendence is my superpower.

Oj: What bird would you absolutely refuse to be reborn as?
Furne: Never a turkey—too commercial, too festive, and far too likely to end up as Thanksgiving dinner.

Fashion

Lucky Colors of 2025: Harness the Energies of Emerald Green & Carmine Red for Success

Thom Browne Cropped tweed jacket

by Oj Hofer

With the Year of the Wood Snake underway, understanding the significance of lucky colors can help align us with its energetic flow. Rooted in Chinese astrology and Feng Shui, the year’s fortifying shades—emerald green and carmine red—offer mindfulness and good intention attracting luck, and fostering personal growth.

Emerald green, associated with the Wood element, symbolizes renewal, clarity, and inner peace. In the year of the wood snake, its dynamic energies will empower and inspire you, fostering growth, renewal and wise transformations. The hue is ideal for moments of self-reflection, study, or creativity. Wearing or incorporating this shade into your space enhances balance and mental focus.

Carmine red, linked to the Fire element, embodies passion, confidence, and vitality. This year, which according to the Bazi Four Pillars Chart, has a lack of metal, earth and fire elements, it will bring balance and the propitious energies. It’s perfect for professional meetings, decision-making, and moments requiring assertiveness as a splash of red can energize and embolden you throughout the day.

Stella Macartney vegan Leather tote

Stefano Ricci silk tie with paisley print

To fully harness their benefits, use these colors in a contemporary, mobile context; through clothing, jewelry, bags and accessories. Alternate between these two potent tints based on your needs. For example, wear green for calmness and clarity when you are going into stressful and mind challenging meetings or appointments. Choose red when you are going into places or situations where you need courage and motivation such as fashion galas, elite socials, prestige affairs, VIP gatherings and so forth.

Saint Laurent crepe de chine mules

Optionally, you can also choose to wear these colors inconspicuously in small details, such as a garnet or jade bracelet, or a ruby or emerald pendant and earrings set. Men can wear a burgundy or forest green tie or pocket square, or casual polo shirts with poppies or with botanical prints, or jade and garnet jewelry. Doing so can subtly align your energy with the year’s vibrational flow.

Jan Leslie emerald bracelet

Daily Mood Cuff Links with red tiger’s eye tubes

The use of colors is more than just aesthetic choices or preferential picks. Colors can serve as energetic tools, reminding you of your good intentions and keeping you mindful of you daily motions. Effecting an optimistic mental state in the wearer, they can effectively shield you from negativity while fostering prosperity and emotional balance. Thoughtfully incorporating them into your wardrobe and surroundings ensures that you move through 2025 with confidence and the right intentions.

Embracing emerald green for tranquility and carmine red for strength are intentional, mindful choices that have the power to transform your energy and shape your path forward. May you have the best of luck in navigating through Year of the Snake with harmony, energy, and the power to attract good fortune.