Oh My Bag! Clutch Bag Bea Valdes

Beatrice Panlilio-Valdes was born on August 30, 1973 and grew up in Manila, Philippines. Coming from a family which had been in the fine jewelry trade for three generations, she was fascinated with embellishments from a young age.

Today, she is a recognized and much celebrated accessories designer who continues to take inspiration from various cultures and countries, sourcing materials, patterns and ideas from around the world. While Bea receives global recognition and respect for her distinctive embroideries, she remains in  the Philippines, working with modern local artisans and perfecting her craft at her Manila-based studio.

She chooses Manila over New York as it is important to maintain a creative environment that allows for the time-intensive embroidery work to be carried out. The bags, belts and jewelry can take up to ten weeks to be made.  

Bea maintain her focus on traditional embroidery and continues to support  artisans and their craftsmanship. In her words,

 "In a factory you just do a piece of something, you don't get to own the whole. In our atelier -my girls take a lot of pride in their work. Everything is created in-house, from concept, to design, to production. Everything is proudly made in the Philippines.”

Part of the Milestones that have defined her career as an

 Accessories Designer include:

2012

• BEAVALDES invited to be part of an exclusive exhibit curated by the leading European accessory designers tradeshow entitled; “ Accessories that have Marked the History of Fashion”. 20 cutting-edge international fashion and accessory designers, including BEAVALDES, have been chosen to showcase their iconic work at the heart of the JARDIN DES TUILERIES during Paris’ landmark  Fall/Winter 2012 Fashion Week.

2011

• Manila-based accessories designer, Bea Vales collaborates with global ambassador of contemporary Chinese Chic brand Shanghai Tang on a statement necklace for its Autumn/Winter 2011 collection.  

• The “EQUUS” hero-piece created for Swarvoski Elements by Bea Valdes is chosen out of 150 designs  to open the company’s international Beijing catwalk show.   Along with 4 other pieces , including designs by Versace and John Paul Gaultier, the “EQUUS”  will be one of the top focuses of  this international PR event, with 200 strong media in attendance, including international flagship publications in China such as Vogue and Elle magazine.

• For a fourth year in a row, Swarovski Elements handpicks  Bea Valdes  to represent Asian Design and commissions the designer to create a  fifth hero-piece for their World Jewelry Facets Show to be  launched  in  Hong Kong, and to be exhibited in  Paris, and New York

2010

• Recipient of The Outstanding Young Men Award (TOYM) 2010 , Philippines. The TOYM award is widely acknowledged as the country’s most prestigious recognition for young men & women under the age of 40 whose selfless dedication to their respective fields resulted in significant contributions to their country and countrymen. Guest of Honor gracing the awarding ceremony was His Excellency, President Benigno Aquino III.

·         30.20.10: Manila’s Premiere Fashion Designer, Inno Sotto celebrates his 30^th Anniversay with a  Gala Fashion Show at the Cultural Center of the Philippines with accessories by one of his favorites muses, BEAVALDES .

·         Sponsored by FIRMA and Swarovksi Elements, “The Burden of Silk” by Bea Valdes is a private  one night only exhibit of the designer’s work and a rare glimpse into her world of craft.

·         Swarovski Elements displays  4 silhouetes created by BEAVALDES at the World Jewelry Facets 2010 show in Shanghai, China. The unveling of her pieces are part of an exlclusive fashion show and exhibit of unique designs in celebration of designer collaborations from around the globe.

§  Japanese designer Hiroko Koshino  collaborates with Bea Valdes for her Spring/Summer 2011 collection shown at the CITE DE L'ARCHITECTURE ET DU PATRIMOINE, Paris , France.  The exhibit welcomed over 1,000 guests and  
over 400 international  press correspondents.

§  Town and Country Magazine honors  Bea Valdes with a plaque of appreciation.  The award is given  in recognition of  exceptional women of style and substance who have excelled in their chosen field and who continue to bring pride and honor to the country.

§  Established fashion house J.Mendel partners with Manila-based luxury accessories designer, for the international launch of BEAVALDES for JMendel Fall and Resort 2010 jewelry collection.

2009

• Bea Valdes is the first-ever Filipino accessories designer to have her creation grace the cover of British Vogue’s  September issue as worn by Kate Moss.

• In the September fashion issue of the Financial Times - How To Spend It Magazine, Bea Valdes is featured in their main article documenting the global rise of the statement necklace crediting her as  part of the  group of international designers who have led the pack

 2008

• Bea Valdes  hailed as one of the Top Five Designers of the Year by the JC Report  alongside established  global  fashion houses, Lanvin and Balmain.

• TIME Magazine designated BEAVALDES as the Best Luxury Destination Shopping in the Philippines. 

• The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry along with  Manila F.A.M.E.  paid  tribute to the  Filipino designer, for having  earned global recognition and respect  for the Philippines  through her international successes .

•  Bea Valdes is the first ever recipient of “The Pearl of the Orient  Award”  by the Rotary Club of the Philippines in recognition of her artistic contributions and for having  given pride and honor to the Philippines.

2007

• One of Marie Claire Magazine’s  “10 Women of the World for 2007” in recognition of  her international success and outstanding contribution to the Philippine Fashion Industry.

2006

• The rise of the global trend of “the Statement Neckpiece” parallels the initial launch of Bea Valdes’ over-sized statement pieces in US Vogue 2006. The current movement we see today is attributed to the early  push of her  particular design in various international magazines in 2007 such as the Financial Times and the New York  Times.

2005     

• International launch of BEAVALDES accessories and double feature in American Vogue. Her bags  were dubbed by the magazine as   “This year’s must-have evening bags.”

When Bea Valdes first established the accessory workshop in 2004, her original vision was to design pieces that would ultimately be regarded as “ Art to Wear” and not simply merchandise.  She had already envisioned the  workshop and artisans developing into a globally respected showcase of talent and home-base for Filipino craftsmanship.  Today,  she shines a light on the Philippines as a design hub specific to the high-end accessories trade and  continues to receive global recognition  as a  forward thinking , creative architect of  uniquely distinctive quality luxury goods in this field.

The B E A V A LD E S Collection features a selection of crystal and semi-precious stone encrusted bags, embroidered glass drop necklaces, distinctive neckpieces  and sash belts swathed in beads- all  proudly hand-made in the Philippines.

“ As a designer,  and as a workshop - BEAVALDES operates by doing each small step to the best of our abilities. The sum of these actions, if all done correctly, brings about a whole movement that we can truly call quality.  We see it as small steps towards a bigger picture and our ideas and  philosophy on what jeweled pieces should be have since taken wings in the global fashion community .  We have been fortunate to find partners in this business that are helping us redefine and preserve this experience on a global scale.”-  Bea Valdes 

           

“Time is luxury, and this is its’ skillful and artful expression. - the  indulgence of creating something tantalizingly unique and meticulously crafted .”

- Carmen Busquets,  CEO of Couturelab speaking about BEAVALDES