It’s not unusual for Filipinos to be dreaming of a holiday by the sea come Christmas season. Most of us will come up with any excuse to hit the beach. Being surrounded by some of the lushest, most beautiful tropical islands in the world allows us the luxury to do so. It’s a stirring concept to see ourselves exchanging stories on how our experiences by the coast manage to influence our lives—as seen thru the way we dress, style our interiors, or hang art on our walls.
Soaking up the flavorful island life is boho-inspired accessory line Tropik Beatnik. Bursting of juicy tones and refreshing colors are its sculptural clay earrings, beckoning us to take a break from our busy lives and take a moment to unwind—whether it’s taking a dip in the pool, enjoying drinks come sunset, or painting after a busy day—Beatnik’s palette opens us up to a spectrum of warmth we can all create space for.
“Tropik Holidaze” is no different. Inspired by the idea of Christmas magic and the whimsical ornaments we use to dress up our homes, iridescent, glittery whites, warm metallics, rich crimsons, and deep, lush greens paint Beatnik’s latest collection festive. For Tropik Beatnik’s Founder and Chief Creative Designer, Carla Cruz, color and design go hand in hand. When designing, she finds herself imagining what colors would suit a certain style best and vice versa. She first envisions the color scheme by playing with variants of clay, experimenting with the many tonal compositions she can possibly come up with.
Carla’s inclination towards trans-disciplinary pursuits has kept her curious throughout the years. Having previously majored in Visual Communication at the UP College of Fine Arts before majoring in Interior Design, she grounds things back to basic design knowledge—going back to elements like shape. Apparent in “Tropik Holidaze” is the designer’s obvious penchant for geometrics, a feature that can be attributed to her roots in graphic design. She describes ‘The Oasis’ as the most eye-catching piece of the collection, an abstracted execution inspired by our islands’ organic forms. “It’s quirky, unstructured, and just really unusual; which I believe adds to its charm. Other favorites include the ‘Holly’ and ‘Tinsel,’ designs based on the shapes of hanging ornaments.”
The Oasis
It’s no surprise that this designer dove into entrepreneurship; Carla has always had a knack for art direction, combining both her knowledge in traditional and digital media to express the essence of Tropik Beatnik authentically and placing skills like sculpture, photography, product styling, illustration, and copywriting all into harmonious combination.
We’re lucky to be living at a time where we can take on a myriad of roles without diminishing focus. Anything can be used to express ourselves as seen in her example, be it through the brands we create, the projects we envision, and whatever else our creative minds pull us to—and that’s the beauty of the current time; it’s a place where we can redefine what it means to be bohemian.
Catch Tropik Beatnik’s sea of eye-catching hues this November 24 at the 4th installment of Pursuit Fair. To know more about them, you may visit their Instagram and Facebook pages.
