Teamwork makes the dream work, they say, but all the more so when the team members are all moms! Coral Swimwear recently launched its second #AndiOliviaXCoralSwimwear with Andi Manzano and Olivia Manzano Reyes, and more than swimsuits and shopping, the event turned out to be a celebration of womanhood, marriage, and motherhood.
Coral Swimwear, after all, is one that is founded and run by moms, Patricia Gonzalez and Margaux Alampay, who have, in their own words, “created and grown our business not despite us being moms, but because we are moms.” And new mother of two, Andi Manzano is the perfect muse and collaborator with Coral Swimwear, being one who embodies and promotes the values of femininity, dignity, and the joys and strengths of being a mom herself. “We wanted to create a line of swimwear that moms could feel comfortable and stylish in at the beach! Each piece was designed with the needs of the modern mama in mind,” she enthused.
The event was held at Common Ground at Artha Century Pacific Tower in BGC, beautifully styled and set up by Regina Santos. There was a play area to keep the kids busy by One Hundred Ways, and a booth for snacks refreshments by St. Louis. Going around capturing precious mother-and-baby moments was the team of Delightful Little Darlings and videographer Yara Macalindong.
In attendance were mama friends of Andi Manzano and the women who have been supporting Coral since day one: Baby Barangay’s Kelly Misa and Bianca Santiago, multi-hyphenate model Mikaela Martinez with her son Maxen, model Sam Lewis with her son Lukas, radio DJ and host Riki Flores with her daughter Dylan, lifestyle editor and entrepreneur Janna Simpao, and editor and columnist Jane Kingsu Cheng.
Stylish and inspiring mamas we love and look up to included Feliz Lucas, Sheila Catilo with her daughters River and Luna, Aliza Apostol of Must Love Mom with her daughter Rocio, Lucien Villaruz, Emm Sulit with her kids Izzy and Maxi, stylish mother-daughter duo Rina and Rafa Santos, Amber Folkman with her son Wells, Marie Faith and her daughter Bayla, Kat Maderazo of Bento by Kat with her two daughters Zen and Ocean, and Mica Canto of Tidily Ever After with her daughter Natalia.
Of course, Andi and Oliva’s family, Rose Manzano, Daisy Izon, and Sofia Manzano were there to show their support, too.
While the event was short and sweet, it was filled with lots of meaningful conversations, building new connections among moms, and, well, lots of running around after the kids! During the quick program, Pat and Margaux shared how–and why–they began their businesses.
One look at the #AndiOliviaCoralSwimwear collection and it at once gets the message across: embrace your femininity, celebrate marriage and motherhood, and don’t compromise on style.The collection features six matchy-matchy styles for mommies and babies. Moms (and even non-moms) will find the pieces fashionable as they are functional–you can wear most as a top (a lot of moms actually did during the event!), are flattering on different body types, and have easy nursing access, too. The styles for babies are enhanced with ruffles, pom-poms, and dainty little details that young girls will love!
“When we were young, marriage and motherhood were farthest from our minds,” reveals Pat, who has two lovely daughters, and a third baby coming soon. “We’re made to think that being a mom limits your independence and self-fulfillment. But we want to change this conversation because it was precisely by embracing these two things that has given us the most fulfillment as women!” she says.
Margaux, who leads the design and production, and a mother of two little boys, adds, “Becoming wives and moms has made us better versions of ourselves. It has inspired us to give our best in everything we do and it has enabled us to make our dreams come true.”
Coral Swimwear is available online at www.coralswimwear.ph. You may also visit Coral stockists at Retail Lab in Glorietta and Powerplant Mall, and Frankie General Store at SM Aura. Follow @coralswimwearph on Facebook and Instagram.
