MARTISH'S FIRST

fashion

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Davao-based boutique celebrates its first year anniversary.

By Nikki Santiago Jun 21, 2010

In the middle of the bustling City in Bloom, Davao, sits this quaint little fashion house, home to select designers and retail brands. Martish, which is the combination of the name of the owners, Marga Nograles and Tisha Ang, houses pieces by Nicole Whisenhunt, Joyce Makitalo and Bettina Osme�a as well as collections of Luca, V Clothing, FILIPO by Philip Rodriguez and Havaianas to name a few.

“The most fashionable women in the world have all mastered the art of mixing their high end labels with the more affordable street brands. This is what we hope to impart to the Mindanao stylistas,” explains Tisha.

“We take this practice into our store by making sure we offer items that people can buy without having to think twice along with the ones that require a bit more of an investment. The common denominator of course is that everything we carry meets our own stringent criteria for quality and style,“ Marga adds.

Before Martish, the two friends were selling flip-flops full-time, being the sole (pun intended) distributor of Havaianas in the South. A year ago, the duo decided to build their own fashion house, taking inspiration from their trips to Europe and the US.

“You’ll find here a wide selection of products from must-haves to unique finds to the most coveted conversation pieces. We wanted brands you cannot easily find in the malls but are made known only by word of mouth. So that’s also how the store became known—by word of mouth,” says Marga.

In celebration of its first birthday, Martish staged a Parisian-inspired fashion show entitled, “The White Runway: A 2010 Fall Fashion Forecast”, at the posh Marco Polo Hotel and was well-attended by Davao’s style circuit and society.

“It was very moving to see everyone excited and well-dressed. The guests really took time to put together their outfits for the night as this was really the first time we had a fashion event like this in Davao,” Tisha shares.

Fashionistas from the South were treated to a spectacle, a 2010 fall fashion forecast participated by different brands and designers: Luca, BeCe Manila, Tantease, Minadanao’s very own Aztec Barba, Young Designer’s Guild President Louis Claparols, Tippi Ocampo and Patrice Ramos-Diaz. Accessory designers Joyce Makitalo and Nicole Whisenhunt also showcased beautiful necklaces.