Amina

May 14, 2017

Written by Kath Elefante

May 14, 2017

Written by Kath Elefante

Undoubtedly one of the most notable Filipino fashion brands, Aranaz has enamored fashion lovers from all over the globe by turning traditional Filipino elements into modern sartorial must-haves.

Aranaz is also the first brand that Heyjow collaborated with for an exclusive collection and has been our stockist for the past 3 years.

We caught up with Aranaz Creative Director and SoFA Design Institute co-founder Amina Aranaz-Alunan who gave us a peek into her closet and beautiful tropical-inspired home.

Amina's home has natural elements complemented with muted tones that exude a relaxing tropical vibe

On personal style: "Definitely very feminine and fun. I love fashion so I like to experiment and try out new trends but I always lean towards feminine silhouettes. I gravitate a lot towards skirts that cinch the waist. If I do wear looser clothes, it still has to be waist-defining. For tops, I like the more fitted and tailored silhouettes. I like clothes that accentuate the body.

Amina wearing (1) 3-layer necklace with mother of pearl and druzy bar and (2) small Ottoman coins and etched discs layer and (3) geometric aventurine ring

On what she wears on a typical day: "It usually is dictated by where I have to go. If it’s my factory, I’m usually more casual but sometimes I lean towards resort wear, which gets me in the mood to be more laid-back. When I’m at SoFA, that’s when I’m more dressed up and wear things that are more business appropriate but still fun."

On how her has style evolved: "Right now, I’m more comfortable with being a bit dressed down. Before, I had to be always dressed up or there always had to be something that was super glamorous. When I was younger, I had a lot of things for a night out but now I look for pieces that I can wear for many occasions, things that I can wear to work but I can also wear to the mall or to a lunch out."

Amina wearing a black button-down dress with (4) hoop on a strand of 24k gold plated wire-wrapped rosary chain with moonstone beads layered with a tribal spiral charm necklace, (5) druzy drop earrings and (6) gray agate charm bracelet with delicate lavender beads

On shoes: "That has been a big change in my wardrobe. I used to live in heels but ever since I had kids, I’ve been wearing a lot of flats."

Some of Amina's favorite shoes include these slides with ribbon detail from Renegade Folk, black patent slides with colorful accents from Mango, plaited black and white sandals from Spanish brand Bimba y Lola, and pointy sandals from Mango

Dressier occasions call for a striking pair of shoes. Pictured here are Amina's gold Zara Trafaluc strappy heels, a silver pair from Kurt Geiger, and a Giuseppe Zanotti wedge in army green.

On her favorite earrings: "The giant acrylic earrings are from a collaboration between Marni and H&M. I bought it years ago but I’ve only worn it I think once or twice but it’s something I like looking at."

Some of Amina's favorite earrings are made up of Aranaz statement earrings and a giant acrylic pair from Marni x H&M

Amina's jewelry collection also includes these ethereal white earrings, one of which is Ken Samudio's Fleur de Lis earrings (middle)

"Statement earrings are really a big thing right now. These red ones are a lot of fun. I call these types of pieces ‘easy glam pieces’, just like what we have in Aranaz. These pieces instantly elevate your look even if you’re just wearing basic wardrobe elements."

Amina wearing an off-shoulder top by Mich Araullo with (7) red tassel earrings and (8) rustic hoop on howlite beads layered with a turquoise prism bar

On their latest collection: "The bucket bag is from Aranaz’s latest collection, the Garden Party collection, which was launched on Moda Operandi's website. We have a mix of big, medium and mini bucket bags all embroidered with a garden motif.”

Seen here are Amina's own collection of Aranaz bags, which includes the Charlie Bag (leftmost), iconic Pina clutch and the green Bianca mini bucket bag from their newest collection

Style tip: "I’m really an accessories girl and whether it’s bags, jewelry, or shoes, it’s the best and easiest way to upgrade your wardrobe. It’s the easiest way to wear a trend. You can go from day to night just by simply changing your shoes from flats to heels or changing your bag to a big day bag to a mini bag or clutch.

Amina's picks: (9) 2-layer necklace with a stalactite slice paired with tribal discs (10) 3-layer necklace with teardrop mother of pearl and druzy bar

"Another is clean out your closet. I realized that when I have lesser choices, I actually find that I have more to wear especially when I’m traveling. When you’re forced to live with a certain wardrobe, you become more creative and seldom have those ‘I have nothing to wear’ moments."