Cover Cynthia and Ivy Almario
Cynthia and Ivy Almario
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Tatler checks in with the lauded Almario sisters, Cynthia and Ivy, to know what their personal design favourites are, and what they have been up to these days
It is hard to imagine Cynthia without Ivy, and vice versa, for these two stylish ladies are inseparable. For years, the Almario sisters have been working together, bringing to the fore some of the most elegant spaces we have seen. Discover their similarities and differences in a quick chat below.
What or who inspires you?
CYNTHIA ALMARIO: [Philippine] Vice President Leni Robredo. We are working with her in providing an oasis/ shelter for the frontliners and healthcare workers at the Lung Center, Quirino Hospital, and National Kidney and Transplant Institute. I am amazed at how many Angat Pinoy projects and initiatives she was able to implement with limited government funding and donations from the private sector.
IVY ALMARIO: Beauty always moves me, whether it’s from nature or a built environment.
Who are your design icons?
CA: Patricia Urquiola, Marcel Wanders, Antonio Citterio, Rodolfo Dordoni and Tony Chi.
IA: Christian Ligre, Antonio Citterio, Patricia Urquiola and Toni Chi. Let me include Yabu Pushelberg, too.
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Above Ivy’s favourite design tool
Ivy’s favourite design tool
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What is the tool that you cannot do without?
CA: My iPhone. I take a lot of photos of anything that inspires me and document job site inspections and furniture factory visits. I send design information to my team and clients with it and access to Pinterest, which has become a virtual design library for me. I attend Zoom meetings and client presentations with my phone. It keeps me connected to the world.
IA: Tracing paper and my black Artline pen are my alpha and omega. I solve tricky and challenging design problems with them and use a lot for presentation sketches. Sketching out ideas, resolving them on paper, for me, is the beginning of my design process.
During these quarantine months, what has been your favourite pastime?
CA: Creating themed lunches for my family.
IA: True confession? I never used to watch television until these quarantine months when I jumped in and joined the K-drama bandwagon on Netflix.
What are you currently following on Netflix?
CA: The Blacklist and of course K-drama is never far away. I also like The Final Table, a global cooking competition.
IA: Like everybody else, watching Crash Landing On You was the portal I crossed, to land fully in the K-drama space. Lately, I finished It’s Okay, That’s Love and That Winter, the Wind Blows. I watched each drama in this order after I discovered that I enjoyed watching the actor Jo In-Sung become the character he plays.
What is your favourite place in the world? What destination do you miss the most? Where would you like to travel when things are better?
CA: Lake Como in Italy, where you can find Il Sereno, one of my favourite hotels, designed by Patricia Urquiola. [I miss] Paris and Italy. [When things are better] I would love to go on an African safari tour.
IA: I love being in France and Italy. Paris is always a treat just like Rome, Milan and Florence are. Staying in a villa in the Tuscan Hills is a dream destination that can be repeated. My first travel destination would be anywhere in Europe.
Above An emerald ring by Nicole Whisenhunt
Above Burda Barong by Wynn Wynn Ong
An emerald ring by Nicole Whisenhunt
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What is your favourite fashion item?
CA: My emerald floral ring sculpted in dramatic pavé emerald petals and bursting with diamond rounds in the centre designed by Nicole Whisenhunt.
IA: Baubles, bangles and beads.
Who are your favourite artists?
CA: Wynn Wynn Ong. I love her sense of scale and her dedication to finding beauty in the obscure and ordinary. Another favourite is Andres Barrioquinto. I have a passion for flowers so I am really captivated by his use of exuberant flowers layered on top of a surreal portrait!
IA: The sculptor Jinggoy Buensuseco. I love the arresting shapes and forms that emerge from his atelier. Fluid and organic, I find them very impactful. I also like Wynn Wynn Ong. Her pieces are wearable art.
Who is your dream client and why?
CA: Rafael Nadal! It would be great if Ivy and I could design his house in Spain!
IA: Luckily, we have had a long series of dream clients. A dream client, gives you their trust, celebrates your vision of what is the best solution for the given site and is equally dedicated to see the final outcome, enthusiastically enjoying the design journey with you. As such, we have been blessed.
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Credits
Images: Cynthia and Ivy Almario
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Whether on assignment or not, Maritess is always on the lookout for off-the-beaten-path destinations as well as the yummiest finds in the Philippines and abroad. In 2020, she plunged into the black hole of Korean la la land. Follow her escapades at @matetreyes.
