Ms. Universe Photogenic 2005 Gionna Cabrera is NOW a BAG LADY!

May 28, 2009

I deliberately came 15 minutes early to my meeting with Gionna Cabrera just to see her walk in. There’s nothing like watching a beauty queen enter a room. And when she arrived at the UCC Cafe across Glorietta 3, I got what I waited for – a muted but gorgeous entrance; she was clearly a beauty queen in motion.

The first time I met Gionna was a couple months ago at the Bb. Pilipinas 2009 Pageant at Araneta Coliseum – she was very gracious and spent time chatting with me and seemed sincerely interested in getting to know me. I was of course instantly caught up by her gorgeous eyes and pretty face – that night she was in a sexy black art deco gown looking like a jazz songstress from the 20s. All she needed was an old fashioned microphone to complete the look, LOLOL!

Me with Gionna in her Black Art Deco Gown

I discovered her passion was designing bags made out of Acacia wood! We promised to meet again soon after the pageant so I could look at her creations and find out a little bit more about her. Finally the day came and there she was, in front of me, looking fresh and excited. I was interested in purchasing one of her bags and it was a difficult choice. I almost felt like a beauty pageant judge wondering how to pick one winner out of 6 perfect beauties.

LEFT - Ingrid, a Filipiniana-inspired clutch RIGHT - Tara, the Zebra with a Tassel

While deciding between Ingrid the Brown, Tara the Zebra and Iris the Rainbow, I discovered that Gionna just started her business a year ago. She’s always had an artistic streak in her so she took up an advertising related course at the University of Asia and the Pacific.  Then after her great performance at the Ms. Universe 2005 in Thailand where she won the Miss Photogenic prize she decided to forego all the tv and movie offers for a very uncommon post-pageant career – becoming a businesswoman. She says everything is a tedious one-woman show at this point and that’s why she is looking for investors to help her expand especially since her wooden bags have attracted the attention of several groups in the US and she is getting orders from them left and right.

Tree lovers, let me inform you that Gionna Cabrera bags are made from PC (politically correct) wood taken from trees that have ‘died’ or are part of reforestation projects. Also, the bags are STURDY with a shell that’s at least half an inch thick – so they last longer than other bags, perhaps more than a lifetime. Her business also offers job opportunities to wood carvers and craftsmen in Quezon Province where her factory is. So when you purchase a bag from Gionna, you are providing livelihood without hurting the environment.

Gionna with Capsulia Print

LEFT - Canvas Third RIGHT - Capsulia Print

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the current economic situation being bleak, I asked her how sales were doing. Apparently, people are still buying bags even they don’t have that much money to put in them!!! Late last year she was able to fund a trip to the US (using money earned from the business) to do a promotional campaign; she even had the chance to present them in a fashion show. At the moment, she is busy designing and producing her next season – a collection of wooden clutch bags in Art Deco design. Expect boxy, linear hand-helds that bring the 20s to mind. Gionna will have them on display at Firma starting end of June.

As girls will have it, the two of us pored over and analyzed the 6 wooden bags discussing the pros and cons of each one based on my needs. If I had my way, I’d buy them all but there is such as thing as economy to this whole thing of life and shopping, you know. SO, I finally settled on the colorful bag (which reminded me of M&Ms) because it was versatile enough for formal AND not-so-formal events. Her name (the bag) is Iris 4th – the 4th rainbow bag in that design.

I LOOOOOOVE MY NEW BAG!!!!

Aside from her business, Gionna and I talked about the on-going Fashion Week at the SMX beside MOA (she’s showing her bags there), how she was like as a child/teenager – boyish and a bit of a loner, and… what was going on with her love life !!! But I’m not telling you anything about THAT! One thing’s for sure – I’ll never let that cat out of the BAG!

by Joyce Burton Titular, the blogging beauty queen

INTERESTED IN BUYING A GC WOODEN BAG?                                                                                                                                                                                    PLEASE DROP ME A NOTE AND I’LL PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH GIONNA.                                                                                                                                           My email addy is – jaedeelight@yahoo.com or leave your email/cellphone in the comments box below.

Bb. Pilipinas Universes (sounds funny in the plural!!! LOLOL)

Post navigation

← BQ FOOD REVIEW: The Aztec Hot Chocolate at Cafe Xocolat

Beauty Queen’s Beach Workout →