My husband and my sisters-in-law have been friends with Gretchen and her siblings David & Lesley since they were little. But I also feel like I have known her my whole life. Because we instantly bonded over being moms to active little ones, shoes, shopping, J.Crew and of course, DwellStudio!
You see, Gretch is one half of Quirks Marketing Philippines (the other half being her best friend Oliver) which happens to be the distributor of my favorite source of bed linens and baby stuff - DwellStudio, as well as other baby brands like Kaboost, OBaby & BabyPlus. The self-confessed Daddy's girl also continues to work for her dad, so she shuttles between Manila (for work) and Cebu (for family) a lot.
Apart from her busy professional life, Gretch is wife to her college sweetheart Dicky & proud mom to two boys (2.5 year old Gavin & Shoti, who is arriving in 2 months!)
With a lot on her plate, Gretch is drawn to easy pieces that she can easily mix and match. Her shoe collection reflects the same philosophy. Her shoes are a mix of pretty & practical pieces that would make any girl go "Oooohhh!"
How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Tough question! My Dad says I have plenty, my Hubby says I have too many and I say I have options! But if we need a number, I guess it's 50 (that's all that I will declare) hahaha!
My shoe collection is probably best represented by color groups and heel heights.
Looking back, I believe my style was influenced by my childhood exposure to my Mom’s Princess Diana and Jackie Onassis books, while also having the interest in reading Dad’s Time, Fortune and Newsweek magazines. I suppose my style icon would be Princess Diana + GE’s Jack Welch. I love the idea of Princess meets Power, Feminine meets Masculine.
What's your shoe size?
7 or 7 and a half.
Which pairs are your favorites?
Chanel black ballet flats -- I like the combination of the chain and tweed effect detail. It's very... Chanel. =)
Christian Louboutin Simple 80 nude pumps -- i love nude shoes as it goes with alot of my outfits and these are the perfect nude to my skin tone. Plus, the heel height is realistic. I know I can wear these till I'm 50 or 60.
J.Crew Tan oxfords -- this pair started my love affair with oxfords. It's a comfy and edgier alternative to ballet flats.
Valentino kitten heels -- the kitten heel makes it very feminine, while the studs make it edgy. Plus, it's another nude shoe. Love!
Stella Luna jeweled flats -- got me through some dressy summer events (pre-pregnancy), and even some weddings that I had to attend to (since I can't wear heels during pregnancy).
If you could only wear one pair of shoes, which one would it be?
Why would you want to do that?!
(LOL! Spoken like a true shoeaholic! - MFO)
What are your favorite shoe brands?
The brands that haven't failed me -- Schu (the best flats that get me through every season and pregnancy), YSL (the comfiest heels ever! sexy too! ), Ferragamo (an oldie, but a goodie especially for my bunion friends), Pedder Red (on trend styles with great quality)
What's in your shoe lust list?
I have plenty! Giuseppe Zanotti flower applique blush nude heels
YSL crackled gold tribute sandals
J.Crew black and white oxford ballet flats,
and a two-tone oxford in black and brown (it's out there somewhere!)
Where do you buy shoes?
Locally, Schu, Rustan's, Zara, ALDO, etc. Abroad, HK's Lane Crawford and Joyce, are great mostly for "aspirational" special shoes. HK's Pedder Red is where I usually find reality haha! Singapore's Takashimaya, Tangs, and On Pedder hold great comfy and "realistic" finds.
What's that one shoe you can't bear to give away or throw out?
My one and only Chucks in army green with purple shoelaces. It's the pair my boyfriend, now hubby, gave me. It got me through a lot of photo shoots and makeup gigs back when I was still active in that field. Though my style has evolved and rarely wear them, I still put them on when I'm feeling blue. It manages to perk me up. =)
Tell us about your fondest/craziest/sweetest shoe story?
My best shoe memory happened when I was about 9 or 10 years old, and I was made to believe (by my own Father!) that Princess Diana and I wore the same shoes --- I was wearing St. Michaels (made in UK diba?!) patent black round toe flats back then.
That made my day, but of course later on I wised up. I often tease my Dad about it branding it “the only lie you ever told me”. He made up for it (a long time ago, I may add) by supporting my shoe habit (amongst other things). Hahaha!
*Obviously I’m a Daddy’s girl, and I don’t think it is a coincidence that my birthday falls close to Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day again to my Papa!
