Obviously, they weren’t meant for me. But in a series of chance encounters with friends and acquaintances, I saw more and more of the designs of the same person responsible for the ear danglers I lost to someone else –all of which were lovely, to say the least.
As luck would have it, I was invited to a luncheon that had me seated beside Wynn Wynn Ong herself who, as the whole Manila knows by now, is the person behind the Naga line of jewelry. She never duplicates a piece. I found out in the course of the lunch. She did, however, happen to still have Brazilian aquamarines in a necklace version and she politely asked if I would be interested to see it. Are you kidding me? Of course I wanted to see it! Honestly, I was already pretty certain I would love it just as much as the earrings.
True enough it was lovely, and I have worn that piece many times over either dressed up or down. A keeper, it definitely is.
And so that started my fondness for Wynn Wynn’s artistry and I love that all her pieces are unique. Because they are handcrafted, no two are ever exactly alike. Her success has spawned a multitude of copycats, some of them even going as far as passing off their designs as original Wynn Wynn Ong pieces but she has graciously acknowledged that as a peril of the trade. It has proved to be providential though because this inspired her to incorporate a mark of authenticity in her designs. Primarily, it was distinctly the Naga clasp and now with the evolution of her designs into more sculptural pieces, the Naga stamp. Naga, if you must know, is rooted in Wynn Wynn’s affiliation with Buddha. In Burma where she is from, Naga is widely known as the mythical dragon that guarded Buddha when the latter was meditating in the garden one day.
Wynn Wynn comes from a family more intellectually inclined and it is common for them to be double or triple degree holders. She says she never thought she would be involved in jewelry as a business although she was positively certain she would always wear jewelry. She mainly created for her own use and it was through the prodding of a good friend of hers, Michael Salientes, that she started to sell. And like hotcakes, sell well they did. At that point, there was no looking back and a lot of women are happier for that.
Wynn Wynn says she is always inspired by color and texture and the fact that she has had no formal training in jewelry making has proved to be more of a boon than a bane. She has honed her craft through experience, always learning something new as she goes along. The cliché’"ignorance is bliss" cannot be more spot on as it is for Wynn Wynn – she designs and creates without rules, bravely mixing colors, textures and materials. And always, always she goes by how she feels. If, even after weeks of devotedly creating a certain piece, she ends up with one that does not quite please her perfectly she will have no qualms about taking it apart and starting all over again. Such is her passion – even if she has the assurance that the piece although imperfect in her eyes will appear perfect to others enough for them to still want to buy it, Wynn Wynn will not compromise. Suffice it to say that each piece she sends out into her intimate market has her stamp of approval. They are products of her self-expression, nothing short of a labor of love.
That said, it is along those lines that Wynn Wynn veers away from using the term "accessories" when describing her pieces, especially given that these are not mass produced. Personally, I like the fact that her pieces are created by hand so no matter how fine the craftsmanship, there is that raw texture in every piece that can be distinctly yours to have when you buy a Naga piece.
Now Wynn Wynn is all set to make Manila fall in love some more with the launch of Glitterati on Thursday, November 20 at 6 p.m., G/F of Greenbelt 3. This is her fourth evolution in terms of design but in the context of a formal launch, her second. Delicate sculptural branches slotted in between the gemstones marked her collection last year and because she was not very sure to what extent she could carry out her designs then, she was largely dependent on stranding. Now, she says, ironic as it may sound it is because she knows what the parameters are that there no longer are any limits. So what is set to visually delight and excite is a display of handcrafted jewelry – hammered, sandblasted, matte, shiny, chunky, or delicate. No matter what your preference is, there is something out there you are bound to be enamored with. There are beautiful cuffs studded with gemstones, delicate Grecian bracelets, cocktail rings with beautiful stones contrasted by the stark simplicity of their settings, multi-strand necklaces of high-grade gemstones, hammered collars with pendants that double as brooches, multi-strands of raw gemstones with sculptural details… the list goes on and on. Her pieces always have a twist to them – an unexpected flash of orange in a sea of blue, a gemstone that is off-center, hammered details in an otherwise matte finish, a brave mix of colors. Each piece is a stand-alone meant to be worn with an attitude of nonchalance. Wynn Wynn cannot stress often enough how jewelry according to Wynn Wynn Ong, should not be taken seriously and should always be worn with fun. If you think that’s all there is to it, think again. Wynn Wynn has a few more surprises up her sleeve. Aside from her jewelry line, she is all set to launch three other dreamboats – her line of bags, hairpieces, and cufflinks. Her bags are naturally bejeweled and yes, tastefully elegant. The handles come in the form of natural deer horn or wild boar’s tusk. Animal advocates, rest easy. These animals naturally shed their horns/tusks so Wynn Wynn is not endangering them in any way. She embellishes the handles with semi-precious gemstones clustered in 24K gold plate, using no less than 5 microns. What inspired her to expand into bag-making? Wynn Wynn feels that women should carry beautiful things and is inspired by her vision of women using bags as jewels. One does not have to use jewelry if she is holding a bag that is a jewel in itself. Yes, status/signature bags are wonderful in themselves but there is something about carrying a bag that is almost, if not a true, and objet d’art. Then it ceases to be about labels and becomes all about how and what you feel.
Making bags was definitely in her agenda earlier than it materialized – only because she could not find someone who could ably manufacture and construct the bag according to her standards. That is, until she was able to hook up with Rose Ann Bautista of Fino fame who rose to the challenge of beautifully executing Wynn Wynn’s bag designs. The original sketches of Wynn Wynn that appear on this page will give you a sneak preview of her new line of bags. They come in both leather and silk and are sure hits-in-the-making. Hurry up… there are only four of them available for now, three of which have already been pre-reserved.
Her hairpieces are delightful too. They look so chic and uncontrived – perfectly pretty to wear to a formal affair and just as stylish worn with jeans, tucked into your hair like an afterthought. Why not grab some of her cufflinks, too. They will surely look good on him – and you.
Wynn Wynn sources her gemstomes from dependable gem dealers who don’t carry run-of-the-mill stones. It is important for her that she build relationships with her dealers because then the trust is there. She likewise has a good business relationship with lapidaries that can cut stones according to her specifications. She often buys slabs of gemstones that she has especially sliced in keeping with a particular design she has in mind.
Going full-blast commercial and pleasing a particular market is farthest from this gentle lady’s thoughts. Principally she creates to please herself, as an outlet of her artistry and craft. That is the reason why she often buys expensive gemstones. Price is not always her main consideration. She buys based on what appeals to her and only then will the design process begin. She can have gemstones that have been in her stock for 15 years while others that have been with her only for weeks. Regardless, it will not pressure her into creating. She will only play with the stones as inspiration strikes. Take for example the collar of high-grade transluscent aquamarine briolettes. She has had the stones for about two years now but it was only for this upcoming show that she thought of making the multistrand gemstones cascade from two textured horns made of 98.5 percent silver, plated in 24K gold.
Wynn Wynn Ong does not believe in rushing things and she is graciously enjoying her success, taking her sweet time making a multitude of women feel good about themselves through her jewelry. She has a passion for her craft, one that can be seen and felt when you meet her. "I don’t worry about what I can’t sell" she says with a smile, "I don’t mind keeping them for my personal use". Given that her line is always such a winner, I think that fallback will be a very faint possibility.