Can I Tell You...about Ayesha Vera Yu.

Ayesha with her Ayesha tote in white leather.

I first met Ayesha back in 2016 when ARK honored me at their fundraiser gala in New York. Since then we have become friends and I have helped her with some creative input with last years event. She is a force of nature; bubbling with energy, overflowing with ideas and optimism that is inspiring to be around.

An investment banker turned social impact innovator, Ayesha Vera-Yu is the CEO and Co-Founder of ARK, the award-winning social impact venture that creates a path with rural communities in the developing world to co-invest towards self-sustainable food security. Since the pandemic, ARK has grown 25x in scale, and grown the equivalent of close to 4 million meals for 138,000 individuals.

ARK's Feed Back program, a vegetable exchange for the entire community, is a groundbreaking behavior change catalyst. It inspires families to create organic vegetable gardens in their backyards, and to produce excess that is shared with neighbors during exchanges or sold to nearby villages and towns. At the end of this 4-month program, families source their food needs from home, are healthy, have savings and new income. 

Naturally, I was inspired to design a bag for her. The Ayesha tote comes in 3 different versions; in white leather with handwoven panels, and in hand-crocheted raffia with leather trim. They’re the perfect day-to-night bag. Structured enough to wear with a suit and playful enough to wear with a dress.

Read our Q & A :

1. What is my idea of happiness?

Being with my family, embraced by nature, being present and still, and at peace with my work.

2. What is my greatest extravagance?

My greatest extravagance is what I enjoy a lot - food, travel, great coffee and acupuncture : ). I think these are luxuries that I am fortunate to have.

3. What is your current state of mind?

In the middle of reset. I am steering ARK to its next level of growth - and support, in the next 3 years, up to 400 communities who want to be food secure on their own in just 16 weeks with ARK Feed Back. To do this, I am needing a reset of my personal life and get it back to a healthy balance. I am also needing to restructure the organization so that all of our amazing talent I am honored to work with are supported and growing, and we are ready for the hyperdrive. : )

4. Whose style do I most admire?

So many! In the ARK family, I just adore Tunting Cruz’s style. Everything she wears is so chic, whimsical and effortless.

5. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Personal growth! : ) - overcoming my fears, confronting my short comings, breathing through discomfort and pain like childbirth, and making amends especially with people I love. It’s a journey.

The AYESHA in hand-crocheted raffia with leather trim.

6. What is your most treasured possession?

2 necklaces. One necklace that my mom gave me when I graduated from college and started working and traveling everywhere. It is my reminder of who I am, where I come from and the love from my mom that serves as my amulet and protection. The second is the one my dad was safe keeping for me before he passed away.

7. Who is my favorite author?

So many! Mia Alvar has this surgical way of transporting us to a different world and a beautiful way of holding us transfixed even through some painful moments in the Old Country. Daphne Palasi Andreades has a rhythm that is witty and Albert Samaha makes it a joy to connect to the past, and explore our weaved stories with others in Concepción. 3 other books that I would devour again are The Frost on His Shoulders, the Wanderer, the

8. Which living person do I most admire?

My mom. She loves fiercely, finds the courage to walk paths that may be hard, and does not give up.

9. Where is my dream destination?

Right now my family’s farm in Capiz because I have this strong yearning for connection and for weaving back to our ancestors so that I may give a sense of belonging and direction for myself and my son.

10. What is my motto?

One of them is I only buy things that make me feel good and want to dance like Rafe’s modern, cool and gorgeous bags!

If you love the Ayesha tote, or any other bag from the collection, from now until May 12, Mother’s Day, we are gifting you and the ARK family 20% off retail (code: ARKSolves).

And on top of that, I am contributing 30% of each bag sale to ARK!

Now that’s a win-win-win. Right? So what are you waiting for?

Ayesha in hand-crochet multi color raffia with leather trim.

Can I Tell You...about Aya Abesamis.

Aya with her Aya frame clutch at Rockefeller Center.

Can I Tell You…about Aya Abesamis. We started following each other on Instagram last year but we recently finally met in person. I knew of Aya because her parents were fashion models and contemporaries of my sisters back in the Philippines in the 1980s. Her mother Desiree Verdadero was the 3rd runner up for Miss Universe back in 1984. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Aya joined the pageant scene and in 2019 was crowned the title of Binibing Pilipinas Grand International.

She’s been living in New York for almost two years and is represented by the legendary agency Ford Models. Aside from modeling, she also runs her own clothing brand AAYA, freelances for shoe designer Warren Edwards and paints in her free time.

The Aya Frame Clutch was inspired by Aya’s femininity, effervescence and self confidence. It features a covered frame closure with the clasps on the inside so the hardware is hidden from plain site and comes in an array of handworked sequins that will dazzle in the night.

Read our Q & A :

1. What is your idea of happiness?
Happiness is a feeling of enjoyment , positivity and a balance of well being.

2. What is your greatest extravagance?
My greatest extravagance would be fashion and the arts. I just love the creativity and inspiration that fashion and art can give you.

3. What is your current state of mind?
To always believe in myself, and have faith in my abilities. “You can achieve anything you put your mind and hard work to.”

4. Whose style do you most admire?
It’s a mix of role models; the Olsen Twins, Zendaya and Kendall Jenner.

Aya Abesamis wearing the Aya frame clutch during New York Fashion Week.

5. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I feel like I have a lot more to achieve in my life. But so far, I feel like I’m living my dream; to be doing the things I love like modeling, fashion, arts, and a lot more in the city of dreams a.k.a New York City.

6. What is your most treasured possession?
Probably the most treasured possession is a special analog watch that my mother handed down to me which was a gift from my dad. It’s definitely a special keepsake.

7. Who is your favorite writer? Ryan Holiday, Yung Pueblo and Rupi Kaur

8. Which living person do you most admire? My parents.

9. Where is your dream destination?
My dream destinations would be Iceland, Morocco, Switzerland and the anywhere in the Mediterranean.

10. What is your motto?
“Love the humble art”. - Marcus Aurelius. It’s appreciating the little things. The goal in life is to love what you do and to love your craft.

Aya wearing the Aya frame clutch.

Can I Tell You...about Kaya Magee.

There are some people who light up a room as soon as soon as they enter. And that’s exactly how I met Kaya Magee. I was visiting a friend for the weekend in Upstate New York. She had just started Momo Global Flowers and brought the loveliest floral arrangements for dinner. Over the course of the evening, she told us all about her daunting project of growing flowers in a biodynamic way in her21 acre farm in Catskill, NY. She was filled with enthusiasm and optimism.

We also realized that we had a a friend in common who was her colleague when she was working for the legendary Yohji Yamamoto. Such a small world, really.

I designed the Kaya woven tote inspired by Kaya’s energy, and her easygoing attitude. Something handcrafted in an easy silhouette that she could wear with almost everything.

Read our Q & A :

1. What is your idea of happiness?

To appreciate every day of my life and notice the small things in life.

2. What is your greatest extravagance?

During pandemic I purchased a house with 20 acres of land in Upstate NY and starting a biodynamic flower farm.

3. What is your current state of mind?

Happy, peaceful and breathing.

4. Whose style do you most admire?

I do not have particularly person to admire, but I studied fashion stylist in Tokyo and worked for Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto so I am always looking for the current fashion and I usually twist the style in my way.

5. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

To have lived and worked in Tokyo, Paris, and New York.

6. What is your most treasured possession?

My heath, family, friends, my son Luca and our recently adopted Bichon Frise’ mix Tobi.

7. Who is your favorite writer?

The Japanese Buddhist nun Harumi Setouchi (Jakucho Setouchi). She just passed away in 2021 at the age of 99 years old.

8. Which living person do you most admire?

My mother in Yokohama, Japan and my ex- mother-in-law in Melbourne, Australia who is 104 years old.

They have both taught me a lot of life lessons.

9. Where is your dream destination?

The West Coast of France, Biarritz, the South Coast Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, and the island of Corsica.

10. What is your motto?

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop and keep going and trying. Positive thinking and believing what you want to do. The universal energy will bring you everything TOGETHER.

Kaya wearing the Kaya Tote in Wine.

The Kaya woven tote is constructed from handwoven leather that emulates the look of a straw basket. It comes with a detachable woven leather strap and has a fully lined interior with a magnetic snap closure and inside pockets. Aside from the wine color that Kaya is wearing, it also comes in black and stucco.

Can I tell you...Black is Beautiful!

Aisha Beau Johnson with her Rafe bag in Chelsea photographed by Marta Skovro McAdams.

I can still hear her warning me. Growing up in the Philippines, my nanny used to discourage me from playing out under the sun all day. She was afraid I would get too dark. She would often say that I would look like a peasant if I wasn’t careful.

Filipinos have colonial mentality and colorism embedded into their psyche from the day they are born. You hear people compliment how beautiful fair skinned babies are and lament when they are dark.

It was considered a good thing to be as pale as possible. A fair skin tone was associated with beauty, wealth and privilege. You could be Mestizo or Chinoy, but being Moreno or Kayumanggi was a not considered as desirable. There were even product ads that used the tag line, “kutis mayaman” which translates, “complexion of the rich”.

I grew up with this negative attitude towards skin color up until I moved to New York City in the late 80s. Once here, I made friends from different ethnicities and embraced the diversity my new home had to offer.

You would think that in a such a culturally diverse city racism would not exist but it was in New York that experienced my first brush with racism. It happened on a bright sunny day while I was walking home when I saw a few guys walking directly in my direction. When they got closer I swerved but one of them intentionally shoulder bumped me and yelled, “Go back to your f….ing country. You Japs don’t belong here.” Imagine my bewilderment! I yelled back, “I’m not Japanese, a…hole!”. That’s when they turned around and started to walk back towards me with menacing looks. Luckily, I was at my apartment so I dashed inside and didn’t leave until the next morning. I was traumatized, confused, afraid and angry. I wish I had a cell phone then because I could have recorded the incident. I mentioned what happened to friends and their advice was just to ‘let it go’ and that if spoke up again I would just get hurt. Best to shut up and take it. I never encountered anything quite that hostile since.

We are now at the threshold of change. I am truly hopeful that all the protests in the USA and all over the world will bring a reform in policies within government and corporations, a positive attitude shift towards people of color, and an equality of justice.

I am hopeful. The next generation of my family is growing up with a very different view of humanity. They’re surrounded with a multi-racial environment and that is their reality. We are teaching them to love and not to hate. But we still have a long way to go. We are all looking in the mirror to confront what we are taught.

We must eradicate racism and colorism. We must all work together for this change to happen. All lives can’t matter until black lives matter.

Here is a list of organizations that you can support if you have the time and the means. Every little bit goes a long way.

Black Lives Matter

American Civil Liberties Union

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

8CantWait

The Loveland Foundation