STANDOUTSTYLE

Ilove having conversations with men and women particularly at events and during trips. It is from these dialogues where I am able to get content that I can put in my media brands. More importantly, it is a great source for data that I can use to make informed decisions. Conversations, however mundane or exciting are a great way to keep your ear on the ground for movements, shifts and new directions for the changing lifestyles of people today. In many of these dialogues, however, people often talk about themselves in an attempt to “sell” their brands, themselves or their ideas. Many time, I love what people tell me, but some go beyond sharing and crossover to the territory of narcissism. Those are the talks that I don’t like. Then again, today more than ever, people want to stand out and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

One of my favorite conversations was with Momoi Supe (@itsmomoisupe), the man synonymous with providing people with the perfect eyebrows. His Strokes Eye Beauty Studio is the best in the country particularly in eye brow shaping, microblading and eyelash lengthening. What was poignant about our converstion was his strategy for standing out. Like most success stories, his began from the bottom. The interior designer came home after he ended an employment contract abroad with very little in his pockets. In fact, he had so little, he had to go to a friends house from the airport to be able to afford the cab he took to get home. Momoi is self aware, he knew that the design landscape was highly competitive and being out of circulation for years meant he had little to no contacts. So, he thought of the aesthetics. In the Philippines, there are leaders for face and body enhancing, but none for what they do at Strokes Eye Beauty Studio. “I want to own the eye area,” Momoi declared. And he did. His method wasn’t new. His style for standing out is the tried-and-tested strategy of coming up a unique product that is excellently done. This month, Momoi expands his enterprise with a new door in One Uptown Mall Link, Bonifacio Global City.

Just the other day, I had a conversation with a global fashion designer who dresses A-list stars both locally and internationally. I was surprised to discover the lengths that publicists and people would go to stand out. Some take the ideal route of being beautiful in every public appearance, while others take an unorthodox approach. Apparently, designers would get red carpet orders from celebrities that would deliberately land them on worst dressed lists. Initially, I thought, “Who does that?” After quick pondering, I realized that this strategy is genius particularly for rising or up and coming stars. Of course, you would need beauty and killer acting skills to be able to pull this off, but it is a great route to take if you want to get noticed especially since the audience spends much more time looking at a worst list versus a best dressed one.

Personally, I prefer a much more quiet approach to standing out. My clothes these days are tailored and minimal, but I always pair it with accessories or shoes that provide a punch. For work, I’ve always been an advocate for letting my work speak for itself. I subscribe to the thinking “Make your work so good, they can’t ignore you.”

And how about you? What is your style for standing out?

@sukisalvador