MFO Shoe Series: Joni Andrea Ong, Manila

Joni calls herself a twentysomething ex-corporate slave/entrepreneur/multitasker. And when she says multitasker, she means it with a capital M. Apart from working for the family business where she handles brands such as Rio Mints and Titania foot care, she's also responsible for bringing in Rootote bags from Japan. One great perk of working for the family business is loads of time to do a lot of traveling. Her travels have taken her everywhere across continents, although a highlight would be spending a term of her college life in Lille, France. 

When it comes to shoes, her picks are multitaskers as well - ie shoes that can go anywhere and can go with everything. Joni shares that she is not really a stilettos type of girl. She prefers chunky heels or platforms. And she can’t live without her flats.

This is the entrance to my room. I like displaying my shoes in my room. I change the shoes, the

coat and so forth every now and then. Solimman combat boots (Dr. Marten’s look-alikes for only

Php800!), Monica Fig blue platforms

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Ermm the press release is around 50 something haha.

These are some of my flats. I’m not ashamed to say that I love flats. I don’t understand how some girls can survive walking in heels the whole day. (clockwise) Repetto ballet flats, Solimman brogues (there was a time it was so hard to get brogues here in Manila so I ended up in Cubao X to get a custom made one. Fortunately, I spotted this pair on their shelves! It was custom made for a congressman who never returned for them), Opening Ceremony, Ferragamo, White Mountain (my mom’s old walking shoes when she was a teenager), Miu Miu

Currently, these are my favourite office shoes. I make sure that all the shoes I wear for work are comfy. I don’t like being bothered with my shoes when I’m working. Heel height is important, can’t be too high because I walk around A LOT (going from one meeting to another or doing trade visits). (L-R) Zara heels, Schu silver loafers, Kickers red heels, Melissa x Alexandre Herchcovitch pointed flats, Melissa Barbie-pink flats (they really look like those shoes my Barbies had)

Some of my sky high heels. Christopher Kane x Giuseppe Zanotti, YSL Tribute pumps, Dries van Noten heels, Nine West heels

Then, we have what my mom would call “you’ll never get a boyfriend” shoes or the Man Repeller shoes. Yup, every time I wear any of these pairs, she has a look of exasperation on her face. Melissa x Karim plastic heels (they look like they’re melting), Gold Dot Carmine mary janes (saw this pair in Sassa Jimenez’s recent collection and just knew I had to have them), Opening Ceremony x Chloe Sevigny mary janes, Marni heels

Some more Man Repeller shoes. Pierre Hardy x Gap sandals (so summer-y!), SM Parisienne platforms, All Saints wooden platforms, Andre Chang x Folded & Hung heels (my highest shoes so far).

What's your shoe size?

7.5 / 8

Which pairs are your favorites?

Monica Fig blue platforms. These shoes are so comfy. They’ve seen me through a lot of parties. I can dance in them all night.

Jimmy Choo tie dye kitten heels. I’m not really a Jimmy Choo fan but I couldn’t not buy this pair. Love the tie dye look and the surprising green heels.

Prada heels. When I’m feeling girly.

Marni. They look like kabuki heels.

Dries van Noten. I wear these a lot especially during business dinners/meetings. Not too high and really comfy because of the curved wooden heels.
 

If you could only wear one pair of shoes, which one would it be?

This is difficult! Hmmm for comfort sake, my Repettos or my Barbie-pink Melissas. I wouldn’t want to be wearing heels all the days of my life. My poor feet.

What are your favorite shoe brands?

Locally, Monica Fig, Gold Dot, Schu and SM Parisienne. All these brands have really comfortable shoes! I swear I can run in their shoes. Internationally, Marni, Dries van Noten, Prada.

What's in your shoe lust list?

Alexander Wang sandals. Love how they look like thorns wrapped around your feet.

Beige heels like this pair by Camilla Skovgaard

Suno x Loeffler Randall

Kermit Tesoro’s skull heels

Where do you buy shoes?

Everywhere! Haha. But more often than not, online (Multiply, Net-a-Porter), outlets, On Pedder, Cubao X.

What's that one shoe you can't bear to give away or throw out?

My mom’s old walking shoes. Or maybe my shearling boots from when I was living in France. Those shoes went through a lot – snow, beer, etc.

Joni blogs at http://limebasil.blogspot.com

MFO Shoe Series: Kristine Dee

Jewelry artist Kristine Dee has come a long way from furniture. She trained in industrial design at  DLSU-College of St. Benilde, worked in her family's furniture company for a year, and then left for New York to take her Master’s in Industrial Design focusing in furniture at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. To further hone her craft, she took up furniture making in Denmark Design School with her husband Sheldon. 

It was by accident that she stumbled upon the jewelry workshop at Pratt. She found it so fascinating that she signed up for classes in metalsmithing and found so much joy crafting pieces she designed herself.

After graduating from Pratt, she worked for a design studio that created home accessories for the likes of Banana Republic and MoMA. When she and her husband moved back to Manila, they put up their furniture company Duo Living, but rather than forget her love for jewelry design, it only intensified. Today, Kristine has made a name for herself in creating fine jewelry pieces that are testaments to her eye for form, line & function. The same goes for her taste in shoes - it runs the gamut from pretty & delicate to classic & functional to architectural & sculptural. The common denominator: great design.

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

About 60 maybe (only what can fit in my closet).

Here is the picture of our shoe cabinet.  Share kami ni hubby, of course, I get more space than him! 

To keep my shoe collection well edited, I give away what cannot fit in here. - Kristine

What's your shoe size?

Size 6 sometimes 6 1/2

Which pairs are your favorites? 

Top 1 : Dries Van Noten I bought 10 years ago in New York

Top 2: white Prada wedge sneakers

Top 3: new silver Birkentstock sandals ( if you consider these as shoes) just because they are so comfy

Top 4: Stella Luna black gladiator boots

Top 5: Alexander Wang heels (but they are too high to wear for a long time)

If you could only wear one pair of shoes, which one would it be?

Silver Birkenstock sandals :)

What are your favorite shoe brands?

Dries Van Noten, Alexander Wang, Birkenstock, Jeffrey Campbell, Prada, Stella Luna

Jeffrey Campbell Tick NS bought at SM Fashion Forum

Stella Luna bling sandals

Stella Luna party shoes

Stella Luna wedges

What's in your shoe lust list?

More Alexander Wang, more Dries Van Noten and more Prada

Where do you buy shoes?

While traveling, online, and locally at Stella Luna

Brogues from Giordano Ladies, one of her favorite stores

Frye boots

Cole Haan peep toe pumps which go with everything

Stephen booties bought from a store in Philly, which can be worn two ways

Via Spiga peep-toe booties

What's that one shoe you can't bear to give away or throw out?

10 year old Dries Van Noten shoes ( because they have lasted me for such a long time and still in good shape)

MFO Shoe Series: Ruby Gan

Ruby Gan is one of the ladies (the other is Jayjay Onrubia-Puno) behind Chocolate schu bar aka as schu. With shoe stores of her own, it would not be so hard-pressed (incidentally, she is a bemedaled bench press athlete) to think she'd have a huge shoe collection. Yes, that would be a given. But what is interesting is that she's got a fabulous shoe collection that shows her appreciation for shoes is really well cultivated and nurtured. She's got quite a collection of "It" shoes from various seasons, and it looks like it will continue to grow:

Ruby's shoe closet...But wait! There's more....

I spy a whole lot of Prada shoe boxes!

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Safe to say, over 50pairs..

What's your shoe size?

37

Which pairs are your favorites? Top 3 or Top 5

Gosh! I love all my pairs!! So difficult to narrow them down to just 5, more so 3.. :(

Since Ruby can't decide, I will choose two of her pairs that I want: Valentino studded heels from FW 2010

Stella McCartney mesh sandals

If you could only wear one pair of shoes, which one would it be?

It's the black 4.5" heel Prada croc pumps that I bought back in 1998. It's a classic and I love this pair to bits, literally! I've re-soled it so many times already!

What are your favorite shoe brands?

Prada, Jimmy Choo, YSL, Louboutin, Dries van Noten, Nicholas Kirkwood, and many more...

Mesh Pradas with lucite heels

Prada wedges in bright orange

Jil Sander heels

Jimmy Choo sandals

Dries Van Noten pumps

What's in your shoe lust list?

The colorful Pradas and a new pair of Loubs..

Where do you buy shoes?

Hong Kong and Singapore... locally, it's Adora

What's that one shoe you can't bear to give away or throw out?

Actually, a lot of them! That's simply because I can still wear them...